splendid wild ginger
© Richie Steffen / Great Plant Picks
© Richie Steffen / Great Plant Picks
Splendid wild ginger is aptly named, for it is indeed splendid. Emerging in spring, its leaves are large, lustrous dark green overlaid with silver patterns. Turn the leaf over and it is a deep purple beneath. Curious dark chocolate-brown and purple cup-shaped flowers appear in late winter.
Plant Type: perennial
Foliage Type: deciduous
Plant Height (10-year): 0 ft. 9 in. (0.23 meters)
Plant Width/Spread (10-year): 1 ft. 9 in. (0.53 meters)
Hardiness: USDA Zones 7 to 9
Flower Color: brown, purple
Sun/Light Exposure: open to deep shade
Water Requirements: regular watering
Resistant to: deer
Great Plant Combinations:
Great Color Contrasts: white, blue
Great Color Partners: silver, green, brown
This Chinese wild ginger prefers open to deep shade. It is tolerant of a variety of soil conditions, preferring rich well-drained locations but tolerating sand and clay. For best growth provide regular watering during dry weather. The leaves can be cut back in late January to reveal the strange flowers near the crown of the plant. The new growth is susceptible to slug damage; use slug control until the foliage matures in early summer.
Text and photos ©2020 Great Plant Picks/Elisabeth Carey Miller Garden except where otherwise noted
Funded by the Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation, The Seattle Times, and Individual Donors
Administered by the Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden