Wild Ginger, Asarum canadense, is a common spice of the woods that can be made into candy. It was used medicinally as a cough medicine, febrifuge, anti-convulsive, abortifacient, pain-reliever, antiemetic, ear ache medicine and a perfume.
Wild Ginger Sources:
Audubon Guides Box Set – Birds, Tree, Wildflowers & Mammals. Computer Software.Green Mountain Digital. Version: 2.3. Web. Jul 10, 2014.
Brill, Steve. Wild Edibles Plus. Computer Software. WinterRoot LLC. Version 1.5. 2012. Web. Feb. 15, 2014.
Felter, Harvey Wickes, M.D., and John Uri Lloyd, Phr. M., Ph. D. King’s American Dispensatory, Vol. 1. Cincinnati: The Ohio Valley Company, 1905. pg. 287
Foster, Steven and James A. Duke. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America. 2nd. ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Print. pg. 155-156
Hamel, Paul B. and Mary U. Chiltoskey. Cherokee Plants and Their Uses- A 400 Year History. North Carolina: Herald Publishing. 1975. Print. pg. 36
Herrick, James William. Iroquois Medical Botany. Ph.D. Thesis, New York: State University of New York, Albany 1977. Print. pg. 93, 49, 52, 55-56, 67, 115-116
Moerman Daniel E., Native American Ethnobotany, Portland: Timber Press. 1998. Print. pg. 105-106
Newcomb, Lawrence. Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1977. Print. pg. 116-117
Peterson, Lee Allen. The Peterson Field Guide Series; A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants; Eastern and Central North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1977. Print. pg. 96-97, 160-161
United States Department of Agriculture. Natural Resources Conservation Services. Web.
This will always be one of my favorite plants to find (because I can identify it by the color) and cook with too!
I love your web site. I especially like the native peoples uses for wild edibles. I have finally found a very annoying grass like weed in my yard. your site was the only one to identify it. behold, I have another edible in my lawn, I’m excited to harvest all the wild plants in my yard. thanks for all the information, pictures I can actually see to identify and the helpful blogs. honestly, I never knew there were so many ways to build a poncho lean too! wow! I’ll be watching your site. thanks again
Lol, thanks for the compliment I’m glad you like the site.
Anyone concerned about the known carcinogen content?
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/substances/aristolochic-acids