Asarum maximum 'Ling Ling'

Asarum maximum ‘Ling Ling’ is a shade-loving wild ginger grown for its extraordinary combination of glossy, deep green, heart-shaped foliage with pale, marble-like markings and remarkable flowers — three-lobed and black with a striking white face, earning it the common name Panda-Faced Wild Ginger.

The flowers appear in March and April and are often partially concealed beneath the foliage — best appreciated planted towards the front of a border or in a container where they can be seen at close range. It thrives even in deep shade and performs well in humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil.

The cultivar name ‘Ling Ling’ honours the giant panda of the same name, on loan from China to the Smithsonian National Zoo from 1972 until her death in 1992 — the longest-lived giant panda in captivity outside China at that time.

Note: not edible.

Height × Spread: 15cm × 30cm