Height: 6-12 inches
Description: A low-growing ground cover with heart-shaped leaves, perfect for shaded gardens.
Benefits: Spreads slowly to form a dense carpet, suppresses weeds, and provides habitat for native insects.
Sun/Shade: Full shade to partial shade
Moisture Needs: Medium to moist
Soil Needs: Rich, organic soil with good drainage
Planting Suggestions: Great for shady woodland gardens, under trees, and as a ground cover in native plant landscapes.
 
From Prairie Moon Nursery:
Best known for its use as an attractive, low-growing ground cover in a shaded, or dappled light setting, Wild Ginger is also deer-resistant. Simply having a shade site is not enough; consider this plant only if you have a moist, yet well-drained site, typical of a rich, humus woodland. Soils that do not drain well or have a heavy clay component are not ideal and the Ginger will likely not thrive.
 
It will max out at about  6" in height and the large heart-shaped leaves can be 6" in diameter. The leaves are shiny when fully opened and the stems are hairy.  Unlike many early spring woodland plants,  Wild Ginger will keep its foliage throughout the season; it will not go dormant so it is a good species to plant among the spring ephemerals that do go dormant.  An attractive dark red flower will appear under the plant early spring but will fade fairly quickly.

Although unpalatable to deer and other mammals, Many insects are attracted to Wild Ginger, including ants, believed to pollinate the plant. It's best to propagate this plant by divisions rather than try to get it going from seed. Divide plants in the early spring before they are actively growing or in the fall as they go dormant. Wild ginger serves as a host plant for the Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly, Battus philenor. 

Other common names include Woodland Ginger, Ginger Root, Heart Snakeroot, Indian Ginger, Asarabaca, and Catfoot.