Asarum is a genus of plants in the birthwort family Aristolochiaceae, commonly known as Wild ginger.
It has thin leaves which are plain green or which may bear a tiny trace of patterning and these sit above small, rounded flowers of brick red and ruby. Unusually this species can go summer dormant in areas which suffer drought or hot dry summers. This is normal and the plants re-leaf in the autumn rains to provide fresh foliage.
Asarum is a genus of low-growing herbs distributed across the temperate zones of the northern hemisphere, with most species in East Asia (China, Japan and Vietnam) and North America, and one species in Europe. Biogeographically, Asarum originated in Asia.

Asarum canadense and other species in the genus contain the nephrotoxic rodent carcinogen aristolochic acid, which the FDA warns against consuming.