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Wild Ginger...What a find!

Lori

By Lori


Wild Ginger...What a find!

expensive to buy and seasonal planting time (in autumn) makes this one perennial most people with shade gardens may find difficult to find....



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Is this actually growing wild Lori?

19 Oct, 2010

 

Yes, Tetra... it's a common ground cover. Asarum canadense. This picture was taken about a block from my home in a mature forest of maples. It seems to prefer the more acidic soils that form from detritis on the forest floor. the canopy is about 100 ft. above and very little light gets thro in summer.

19 Oct, 2010

 

And can you make crystallised ginger from it? Sorry I sound dumb here but dont know much about it, but interested.

19 Oct, 2010

 

One of the joys of growsonyou..is that all questions are considered good questions. I find I value the opinions of members as much as I do all the "experts' on google, or whatever. No probs, Tetra! True ginger root comes from Zingiber officinale...the Asarum is a wild NA native plant and yes there are old recipes around for "ginger candy" which is the roots of the plant boiled then steeped in sugar syrup and dried. There are other sources that say it's poisonous in some parts so I would prefer to buy my ginger (Zingiber) at the market and enjoy the beautiful heartshaped leafy ground cover of the Asarum in my garden.

20 Oct, 2010



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