PlantFiles: Upright Wild Ginger
Saruma henryi

This is a gem in the garden. It is a bit hard to find, but is a must for a gardener interested in Asian plants.

Mine also seems to bloom just one time in May, and the flowers last about a week. My plant is already (as of June 4) showing signs of wanting to go into dormancy. I have it planted in shade with a couple of hours of morning sun. The leaves have a nice texture.

I just read on a reputable site that the entire plant is poisonous, so beware of pets and children!

This unusual plant is a close relative of Wild Ginger but it is more upright with ginger leaves on a stalk and its flowers look like Buttercups (small and yellow) than Wild Ginger. It seem to prefer partial shade and is a tough plant (having survived a rapidly spreading hosta) but slow to spread. Hard to find.

This is a lovely plant. I'm in Zone 5, it is planted where it get no directed sun light. They say that it continues blooming thru summer. Mine only blooms once in the spring in May, it dies back totally in the fall. Nice addition to the shade garden.