• Image of Asarum forbesii 'Mercury'|Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC|JLBG

    Photo by JLBG taken at Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC

  • Image of Asarum forbesii 'Mercury'|Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC|JLBG

    Photo by JLBG taken at Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC

  • Image of Asarum forbesii 'Mercury'|Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC|JLBG

    Photo by JLBG taken at Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC

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Asarum forbesii 'Mercury'

Forbes' Chinese Wild Ginger

This plant is not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.

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Item #: 6104

Zones: 5a to 8b

Dormancy: Evergreen

Height: 6" tall

Culture: Light Shade

Origin: China

Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)


Logo indicating plant is one of Plant Delights' Introductions

We are thrilled to introduce Asarum 'Mercury'...our selected clone of the true Asarum forbesii, which is hopelessly confused in the trade with Asarum ichangense. Asarum forbesii hails from moist woodland valleys below 2,500' in the Chinese provinces of Anhui, Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Sichuan, and Zhejiang. In the garden, Asarum forbesii 'Mercury' resembles a smaller Asarum arifolium, making a slowly expanding clump composed of 3" wide, heart-shaped leaves of green, highlighted by attractive silver blotches. From April through June (NC), the foliage covers the basal clusters of small liver-colored flowers. The easy-to-grow Asarum forbesii is tardily deciduous in early winter. In Chinese medicine, Asarum forbesii is known as "tu xi xin," which translates to something like, plant two and call me in the morning.