In the last week or so, for some reason I have received several inquiries to clear confusion regarding the native ginger found here as a woodland perennial, and the ginger commonly available in supermarkets. Which is the true ginger? Well, they both are but they are NOT the same plant, not remotely related, and do not have identical constituents. The photo on the TOP, with the tall spike leaf is the ginger that is primarily used in medicine, Zingiber officinale ~ a tropical plant used primarily for digestive, circulatory and digestive issues. It can be grown here as an annual or in a greenhouse with some pampering but is not hardy in this zone. To show the other, the image with the violet-like leaf is a member of the Asarum family, Asarum canadense being one of the most commonly found here. Note the unusual bloom. This native ginger can be found in shaded woodland areas of Western New York and have less strong medicinal value, but this plant is a supreme example of a species with a clonal root system which can exist as long as a ten-year time span.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 23:36:03 +0000
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