Asarum

Asarum is a genus of rhizomatous woodland perennials of the family Aristolochiaceae, distributed across the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with greatest diversity in East Asia (China, Japan) and North America, and a single species native to Europe. These are not bulbous geophytes but creeping rhizomatous plants, forming an evergreen or semi-evergreen mat of leathery, heart-shaped leaves, often mottled. The inconspicuous, small urn-shaped flowers, brownish-red to purple, are hidden at ground level beneath the foliage. The common name "wild ginger" comes from the aromatic scent of the crushed rhizomes, with no botanical relation to true ginger. They thrive in moist, humus-rich soil in shade.