Asarum Canadense or Asarum Caudatum

Asarum canadense (Canadian wild ginger) is a low-growing, shade-loving perennial groundcover, typically 4-8 inches tall, with large, heart-shaped, deciduous leaves and brownish-purple, cup-shaped flowers that appear in early spring at the base of the plant. It thrives in moist, rich, deciduous woodland conditions, serving as a fragrant, deer-resistant ground cover.

Western wild ginger (Asarum caudatum) is an understory plant that offers wonderful texture in the form of deeply veined, evergreen, aromatic leaves that carpet the soil in shady conditions, soil protection, habitat for tiny creatures, and unusual, secretive flowers. The species epithet, caudatum, means “tailed” and refers to the wispy, almost whimsical appendages of the sepals, which protect the flower.