American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Big lacy flower heads in summer give way to purple-black berries for both birds and your kitchen.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
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- Wild Ginger
Hidden maroon
Groundcover
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
A lush, heart-leaved carpet for dry shade where lawn and hostas give up.
the Northeastthe Mid-Atlanticthe Southeastthe Midwest
Growing Wild Ginger
The glossy kidney-shaped leaves make one of the most beautiful native groundcovers for shade. Curious maroon flowers hide at ground level for ground-dwelling pollinators. It’s deer-resistant, and easy to grow.
Where it grows
Wild Ginger is native to the Northeast. In the wild you’ll find it across Alabama · Arkansas · Connecticut · Delaware · Georgia · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kentucky · Maine and 22 more states. Always confirm it suits your specific county with your state native plant society before planting.
Regional Garden shows Wild Ginger on 32 state pages.
Good for
Sourcing
Where to buy Wild Ginger
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.
Plant it with
Companions & kin.
Natives that share Wild Ginger’s range and conditions.
Arrowwood Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum
A bulletproof hedge shrub with white spring flowers, blue fall berries, and burgundy autumn leaves.
- Sun to shade
- Average–wet
- 6–10 ft
- Blooms May–Jun
Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
A glossy evergreen mat that grips sandy, sunny banks where nothing else will hold, even by the sea.
- Full–part sun
- Dry
- 4–8 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A cheerful, unkillable starter native that blooms its first year and seeds itself politely around.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep