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Herbaceous Perennial

Asarum arifolium

jug plant

An evergreen, mat-forming perennial to around 25cm high with glossy green, mildly-scented, arrowhead-shaped leaves that may be marbled and mottled with silvery veins and blotches. Small, urn-shaped, purple flowers are borne in spring

Synonyms

Hexastylis arifolia
Asarum grandiflorum

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full shade
Partial shade

Aspect

North–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

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)

Botanical details

Family: Aristolochiaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: 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: SE United States

How to grow

Cultivation

Grows well in woodland conditions- a humus-rich, moist but well-drained, acid to neutral soil and full to partial shade

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in containers as soon as ripe, or divide in early spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Ground cover
Garden edging
Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs and snails

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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