Asarum maximum Ling Ling

Asarum maximum 'Ling Ling' is a very beautiful variety of giant ginger also commonly known as 'Panda Face' Wild Ginger due to its round black-and-white flowers that resemble the cute face of a panda. This superb Chinese selection develops ample, shiny, marbled foliage that blends several shades of green, hiding its adorable flowering in spring. Evergreen in winter and hardy down to -8 °C (17.6 °F), this shade-loving perennial creates a sumptuous ground cover in light woodland and in cool soil. A beautiful and rare plant that will delight collectors!

Sometimes called Wild Ginger due to the spicy and lemony scent detected when crushing its leaves or roots, Asarum maximum 'Ling Ling' was selected in the Chinese provinces of Hubei and Sichuan, specifically in low-altitude moist mountain forests. It belongs to the Aristolochiaceae family, with no relation to ginger. While its cousins, the aristolochias, climb the branches of trees in tropical or Mediterranean regions, giant ginger spreads out in the shade of the undergrowth, forming a 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8 in) high carpet and spreading thanks to its rhizomatous roots. Its evergreen leaves resemble those of cyclamens. They are 15 cm (6 in) long, heart-shaped, and arranged in tufts near the ground. Completely marbled and spotted with apple-green, medium green and darker green, and highlighted by a silver halo, their epidermis beautifully reflects the light. From March to May, fairly large bell-shaped flowers appear; these are fascinating but somewhat hidden under the leaves. They have three velvety petals that contrast sharply: black in colour, illuminated by a large white basal spot, around a black throat.

The 'Ling Ling' Giant Ginger will make an excellent ground cover in the undergrowth of regions that are not too cold and that are well watered all year round. It will appreciate shaded exposures and humus-rich, well-drained soils with an acidic tendency, and will blend beautifully with other shade-loving perennials such as Sanguinaria, Achimenes, Syneilesis, and Rohdea, or ferns. It is a hardy plant, and its foliage will remain evergreen even at quite low temperatures, especially if protected by a thick blanket of snow. It can easily be adopted in a pot to admire it up close and closely monitor attacks from gastropods that love its young shoots.