This Pacific Northwest native is tops for the garden. Its bold, heart-shaped leaves are its main attraction. They are fully evergreen and release a spicy, ginger-and-citrus fragrance when crushed. Grows as a understory plant in our forests, so it is accustomed to dry, shady locations. Adaptable enough to thrive in sites that are wet in winter and to soils ranging from sandy to clay. Generally it does not need any special care to become established. Great companion plants include hellebores, hostas and ferns. Use it as a groundcover under shade-loving trees and shrubs. Its creeping habit creates a beautiful carpet under low-growing cutleaf Japanese maples. Peek beneath the foliage in late winter to see the unusual, triangular, rust-brown flowers. This is one of the few wild gingers that shows a fair degree of slug resistance. Where there are high populations of slugs, some slug-control measures are advised. (Text courtesy of Great Plant Picks.)
The next time you are buying perennials please look for our helpful labels and blue pots, and remember "The best perennials come out of the blue"!
