The flowers are
bell-shaped, greenish-purple or brown and ˝
inch long. The single flowers are borne near the
surface of the soil and are
usually not readily noticed.
Evergreen, cordate leaf base, 2-3 inches wide, glossy green with fleshy petioles up to
5 inches long. The leaves are kidney-shaped and
leathery. European wild ginger is noted more for
its lustrous green foliage.
Wild Ginger and European Evergreen Ginger are not
related to the culinary ginger (Zingiber
officinale) of tropical origin. Their names refer to
the spicy fragrance of the freshly cut or
crushed rhizomes and leaves.
Early settlers were
fond of this plant because it had a flavor
similar to the Old World Ginger. The stems
were dried and pulverized and used for spice, or
sometimes boiled with sugar to make a candied
spice.
