groundcover

European wild ginger

Asarum europaeum

Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.

Hardy in zones 4–8, European wild ginger is a slow-growing evergreen groundcover. Expect 3–6 in of height and 0.75–1 ft of spread; our lists space it 0.75 ft apart. It does best in part shade to shade with average water. It is grown for its year-round foliage rather than its flowers. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the edge role: a low plant that finishes the front edge. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is toxic to dogs and cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in Florida and the Gulf, Texas and the South-Central states and the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.

Facts from our plant table

Botanical name: Asarum europaeum
Plant type: Groundcover, evergreen
Hardiness zones: 4 to 8
Sun: Part shade (2–4 hours); Shade (under 2 hours)
Water: Medium
Soil: Moist, humus-rich soil.
Mature size: 3–6 in tall × 0.75–1 ft wide
Spacing: 0.75 ft apart (centre to centre)
Growth rate: Slow
Bloom: Grown for foliage
Roles in a bed: Edge
Styles: classic, modern
Deer resistance: High: deer rarely eat it
Pets: Toxic to dogs and cats. Contains aristolochic acid, a kidney toxin; no ASPCA entry found. Treat as toxic.
Native to: Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
Pot size and price: quart pot, typically $10–$16 (sometimes stocked)
Plant in: Spring or Fall
First-year watering: Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat; keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. Established plants need water only in dry spells.
Pruning: No pruning needed.

Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; state extension service fact sheets; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings; state extension service; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States; state noxious weed and invasive plant lists; US garden-centre and home-improvement retail listings (general knowledge, 2026 estimate). Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.

Guides that include this plant

Deer-resistant plants for a part-shade bed in zone 5 (as a substitute)
Deer-resistant plants for a part-shade bed in zone 6 (as a substitute)

Good companions

The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as European wild ginger, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.

If you can't find it

Substitutes our engine offers for European wild ginger: same role in the bed, passing the same rules.

How this page was made

This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.

Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.

Sources

Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)

Generated November 12, 2026. How FloraVista chooses plants