While hiking in Carmel, Indiana, I can across this bit of greenery on the forest floor. It is a herbaceous, perennial plant which forms dense colonies in the understory of deciduous forests throughout its native range in eastern North America.

Canadian Wild Ginger is unrelated to commercially available ginger; however, it is named “wild ginger” because of the similar taste and smell of the roots. Early European settlers used to dry the rootstalk, grind it to a powder and use it as a spice.

The plant’s two velvety, heart-shaped leaves barely reach 12 inches in height. Its flowers bloom from the base of the plant, often hidden by its wide leaves.

Many a hiker has walked past the large colonies of this early Spring wildflower not realizing that it has an interesting and peculiar flower hidden underneath its canopy of foliage.

Canadian Wild Ginger evolved to attract small pollinating flies that emerge from the ground early in the Spring, looking for a thawing carcass of an animal that did not survive the winter. By being so close to the forest flower, it is readily found by the emerging flies.

Not only is this plant cool to see in the wild, it is often grown in gardens as groundcover in shady situations.

Third Eye Herp
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