Myriad Botanical Gardens - Oklahoma City, USA

Common name: Wild Ginger

Family: Aristolochiaceae (Birthwort Family)

Distribution: North America

Hardiness: 4a

Life form: Perennial plant

Comments: This Oklahoma native ground cover is attractive for its handsomely veined, heart-shaped leaves. It’s a bit of a slow grower but its dense growing habit make it worth the wait. The purple-brown flowers grow under the leaves directly on the ground and are pollinated by crawling insects such as ants and beetles. This species is not related to tropical culinary ginger, but its roots do have a similar smell and taste, and it was used historically as a ginger substitute in North America.