Finally its happy and putting on a show for those will to get down and look. It was among the first plants we planted in our woodland bed, and it has struggled every year.. this year it has exploded the one plant that has hung on so long, is now five and blooming.
Nice job with your picture of the flower. I bet you had to get down pretty low to catch the flower. I love this foliage. It catches the light and seems to glisten.
Well, I was on my elbows, one knee, and had my wife as a spotter. Since I had so many other plants in the area to be careful of. I love flowers like this that make you stop and look for them. Our pipevine is the same way, unlike the tropical pipevines with their gaudy flowers the size of a plate, the native has tiny flowers -- nicely matched to the green of their leaves. But, seeing one reminds me of why I garden. Our small woodland garden isn't one for a quick tour-- some of its best jewels are reserved for the people who take time to seek them out. In the end, that's rather fitting. It's supposed to be a place to slow down and enjoy.
Congratulations on the success!!
I can't imagine how much we miss seeing even when we are looking. :-)
Happy for you to finally see success with this plant. We live in the country and have about six acres of woodland acreage. The Mother Nature natives are nice to see and there are many wild gingers growing there, the leaves have a lemon scent if you rub them. There is also wintergreen that grows out there, mostly around the base of trees.
Great shot of what is always hidden from the eyes! I love wild ginger too, use it on a slope in full shade. I am with mgarr on the beauty of this plant. The leaves look like those postcards that have depth to them. An absolute must have for a woodland garden.
I am digging through some old threads. I tend to do that when I join a new forum.
We bought some bare roots this spring and the Wild Ginger is going wild! Ah, not quite, but some already have flowers on them. These were put in the ground less than a month ago. We've had things grow in this one spot the year we plant them, but never come up the next year. I hope the Wild Ginger is as "invasive" as some people say . I have just a small area that could be considered full shade. I do not know much about gardening, but I would think this would limit how far the Wild Ginger spreads before it loses the shade it prefers.
Ant move the seed from the ginger around the ground. They feed their young the white that surrounds the seeds it's called eliaosom and then they deposit the seeds outside the nest where the seeds begin to grow. The system works fine and you don't have to do a thing but leave nature to do "it's" thing.
This message was edited May 27, 2014 11:52 AM
I bought my Ginger from Pinetree seeds, it's been years, ten? but in the last couple years it's really grown well. from a tiny plant I now have a patch about two feet diameter. Still I can hardly picture it being truly invasive.
mgarr that is fascinating about the ants.
Ditto about the ants. And what great photo.
That is neat what the ants do. I was wondering if there was anything that would benefit from the plant.
sallyg, I mentioned to a friend I planted some Wild Ginger and she told me that it is spreading like crazy at her place, and it has gone out of the area she wanted it. I had not heard this anywhere else, but maybe she has the best conditions for it to thrive. I don't know. :) All I know is I smile every time I walk past there.
I wish the Prairie Pussytoes would grow like this. Of all the bare roots I bought, this is the slowest grower. I thought I lost it after a heavy rain. I really had to search for it Nope, just some dirt was covering the tiny leaves.
I have some sort of pussytoes, pretty sure it doesn't like too much dampness, but in sun it has established well and makes a spreading tight mat.
I have some sort of pussytoes, pretty sure it doesn't like too much dampness, but in sun it has established well and makes a spreading tight mat.
My wild ginger (I have Asarum canadense) looked like it was going to die when I had it planted in medium-moist shade last year, so I moved it to a dry part-sun area. It is much much happier there.
I have Antennaria plantaginifolia (plantain-leaf pussytoes) growing in the same dry part-sun area, and it looks very happy, bloomed nicely and is spreading.
