Wild Ginger

Wild ginger is a low-growing, semi-evergreen groundcover native to moist forests of the Pacific Northwest. It spreads by rhizomes, forming dense mats of heart-shaped aromatic leaves that release a strong ginger-like scent when crushed (though it isn’t edible and may be toxic). In spring, it produces unusual maroon to brownish-purple, three-lobed flowers that are often hidden beneath the foliage, adapted to attract ground-dwelling pollinators such as beetles. Ecologically, wild ginger plays an important role in stabilizing soils and providing habitat for insects and small forest floor fauna while also adding (mostly) year-round texture and fragrance to shaded woodland ecosystems. In the landscape it forms a beautiful, well-behaved mounded ground cover for shady areas.