Native to rich, moist forest areas of North America, Asarum caudatum creates a fantastic weed suppressing groundcover, or will shine when underplanted around the base of roses or other shrubs.Spreading by rhizomes, forming luscious mats of glossy, evergreen, heart-shaped foliage which releases a slight spicy ginger-like scent when crushed. The rhizome also smells like ginger, hence the common name 'Western wild ginger'. In spring, many buds open to reveal blooms comprising of three, long-tailed, red-purple petals. The cup-shaped blooms lie parallel with the ground, almost hidden amongst the leaves. The word 'Caudatum' comes from the Latin meaning tail, referring to the tail-like shape on the flower and explains the second common name, 'tailed snakeroot'.Prefers to be grown in a partially shaded spot, it will reach a maximum height of around 50cm, each plant spreading to around 1m. Asarum caudatum has been classified with an RHS hardiness rating of H6, down to -20 C.
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