Species Name:  Asarum canadense

Common Name: Wild ginger

Zone: 3 to 8

Distribution: New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario south to North Caroliina and Alabama.

Seed collection: Wild ginger seed is produced in a small fleshy fruit.  Each fruit contains  two to three dozen seeds. The fruit lies close to the ground and is usually hidden by the leaves and leaf litter.  Lift up the leaves at the end of the plant and the fruits will be more visible. Crush a few fruits to check on seed ripeness.  Collect the fruits when the seeds change from green to brown. Seed matures in late May in western new York. If the fruits are left too long they begin to decay and fall apart making collecting difficult.

Seed handling: Blank

Germination requirements: Blank

Ecology: Blank

Harvest fruits when the seed has turned light brown
or when the fruits begin to disintegrate.

Wild ginger seedlings shortly after germination.
Young plants look like small versions of mature plants.

this page updated February 20, 2008