An excellent plant for a shady understory!
Western Wild Ginger has heart-shaped leaves which form a green carpet on forest floors. While not a true ginger, the rhizomes taste like ginger, and have antifugal properties. This plant twines through the forest understory, forming large clonal mats. While Wild Ginger is not threatened, its presence has largely decreased due to logging, which brings unwanted sunlight to this shade-loving species.
Western Wild Ginger is usually found in old-growth forests, where there is a lot of wood and organic matter around to hang onto moisture through the summer. It is happiest with a bit of moisture, but is still somewhat drought-tolerant.
"Asarum caudatum 2 RF" by Robert Flogaus-Faust
