Hartweg's Wild Ginger
Asarum hartwegii
Birthwort Family (Aristolochiaceae)

Flower: Dark brown-red triangular shaped petal; flower hidden below the leaves next to ground

Blooms: May to June

Leaves: Dark green heart-shaped leaves

Height: 2 to 6 inches

Found: Shady woods

Tidbits: This plant is pollinated by a beetle that crawls deep inside the flower. The word ginger comes from the Sanskrit which means horn body and refers to the shape of the blossoms. Native Americans used the plant as a contraceptive by boiling the root in hot water and drinking it as tea. This type of a tea was often used to treat whooping cough and other ills. Modern research has found that the plant contains chemicals that are effective antibiotics.