Wild ginger plants have a history of being used for food, including boiling the fleshy rhizome/root to make a sweet syrup that does taste slightly of ginger. It was used for a wide range of medicinal purposes by Native Americans and early Euro-American settlers. It also contains antibiotic compounds which make it useful for topical uses, such as poultices to treat wounds. The plant is native to shady woodlands and spreads via rhizome. They are not of interest to deer or other herbivorous mammals, but insects love this plant, including ants who carry its seeds underground for germination. Wild ginger attracts a very specific pollinator: the Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly. It has protected status in the state of Maine, where it is considered endangered.
Light
Found in shady areas, the plant doesn’t need much sun to flourish. In fact, direct sun can cause the leaves to burn in summer. So to keep it happy, plant it in a spot with full to partial shade.
Soil
Wild ginger likes a rich, moist, slightly-acidic soil, rich with humus, similar to many other shade loving woodland plants. Organic soils are best for this nutrient-loving plant.
Water
Unless there is a drought, wild ginger needs no extra watering, as long as it’s grown in suitable soil conditions. Add moisture-holding amendments that also allow good drainage, like peat moss, used coffee grounds and compost.
Temperature and Humidity
Most varieties of wild ginger are old hardy to Zone 4, so they should overwinter just fine in most temperate regions. They do need cold winter temperatures to complete their life cycle, so they won’t really flourish in zones warmer than 7. Wild ginger likes moist soil and so will tolerate humidity fairly well.
