A low-growing, hairy plant, spreading from creeping underground stems. Flowers usually hidden by the leaves, arising from leaf axils, 3-parted, red-brown or purplish brown, with stiff, white hairs. Flowers emit a scent of decaying fruit. Blooms April–May. Leaves large, rounded or heart- or kidney-shaped, strongly veined, leathery with a shiny surface, hairy. Rhizomes fleshy, intertwined and branching; with stems not rising into the air.
Height: to about 6 inches.
Statewide, but absent from the southeast lowlands and a few western counties.
Habitat and Conservation
Occurs on rich, wooded bottomland and upland slopes, banks and terraces of streams and rivers, in moist valleys and ravines, and at the bases of bluffs.
Human Connections
The roots have been used as a ginger substitute, and this plant was once used medicinally to treat several maladies. It is increasing in popularity as a shade-tolerant ground cover. Handling the plants may cause dermatitis in some people.
Ecosystem Connections
The odor and color of the flowers attract pollinating insects. It should be noted that our wild ginger is completely unrelated to true ginger, which is in the ginger family and which is more closely related to cannas, bananas, bird-of-paradise, and prayer-plants.
