Asarum splendens

RHS Plant Profile
Chinese wild ginger

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Chinese wild ginger RHS

Synonyms

Asarum chingchengense

Alpine Rockery Herbaceous Perennial
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Has dark green, pointed, heart-shaped leaves strikingly marked in silver, with new growth each spring acccompanying flowers in brown-purple and white

Position

Full shade, Partial shade

Soil Types

Loam, Sand

Max Height

Up to 10 cm

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1–2 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
Up to 10 cm

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Neutral

Position

Full shade Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or North–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H6

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Aristolochiaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Semi evergreen
Habit
Matforming
Potentially harmful
TOXIC if eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. TOXIC to pets if eaten - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus
Asarum are evergreen or deciduous, rhizomatous perennials forming a mat of long-stalked, heart-shaped or kidney-shaped leaves, sometimes with attractive silver mottling, and curious flowers consisteng of a 3-lobed calyx, often in "earthy" colours. They are commonly referred to as wild gingers (they are not culinary gingers) but are so-called because their rhizomes have a similar spicy scent
Name Status
Correct
Plant Range
China

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in a shaded position, in a well-drained, humus-rich, neutral to acidic soil

Propagation

Propagate by seed in containers in a cold frame as soon as ripe. Can also be propagated by division in early spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Patio and container plants
  • Rock garden
  • Ground cover
  • Wall side borders
  • Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails

Diseases

Generally disease-free