Great Plant Pick: Asarum europaeum aka European wild ginger

Published 1:30 am Friday, August 20, 2021

What: Asarum europaeum, aka European wild ginger, has distinctive, glossy dark green, kidney-shaped leaves and grows as a tight and compact groundcover. This wild ginger is ideal for deep shade and can tolerate dry conditions once established. Its slow growth will keep it from taking over and overwhelming smaller plants in the shade garden.

Where: Asarum europaeum prefers open to deep shade. It is tolerant of a variety of soil conditions, preferring well-drained locations but tolerating sand and clay.

Size: European wild ginger will grow to be 6 inches tall and 1 foot wide in 10 years.

Care: This wild ginger is drought tolerant once established, but appreciates occasional watering during prolonged dry spells. This is one of the few wild gingers that have a fair degree of slug resistance.

— Richie Steffen,

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