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Aristolochiaceae FAMILY Critically Endangered

Asarum pellucidum

Asarum pellucidum

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
1/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Asarum pellucidum grows in an area with a humid subtropical climate with very warm summers and mild winters. Precipitation is high throughout the year, but is highest in the months of May, June and September. The area is subject to frequent typhoons. The plant is unlikely to succeed outdoors in any but the mildest regions of the temperate zone. Plants in this genus generally prefer a rich moist neutral to acid soil in dappled to deep shade in a woodland or in a shady position in the rock garden[1, 2]. The flowers are malodorous and are mainly self-pollinated but are also pollinated by mycotrophic flies[2, 3].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the summer[4]. Stored seed will require 3 weeks cold stratification and should be sown in late winter[4]. The seed usually germinates in the spring in 1 - 4 or more weeks at 18°c[4]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out when large enough in late spring. Division in spring or autumn. Plants are slow to increase[2]. It is best to pot the divisions up and keep them in light shade in the greenhouse until they are growing away strongly. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Asarum+pellucidum>

Pollinators

Self, Flies

References

  1. [1]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]Flora of N. America — http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ ↩︎An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
  4. [4]Growing from Seed. Volume 2. — Rice. G. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1988 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.
  5. [5]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.