Wild ginger (Asarum caudatum) is a California native that grows under redwood trees in coastal valleys. This alone should have given me pause before planting it here in the Central Valley, yet I was told that it does grow here.
I was letting it go fairly dry between waterings, since it is a native plant and is supposed to be able to handle drier conditions. This resulted in one plant blackening, shriveling and turning to dust. Perhaps a bit too dry?
The sedges next to the ginger were growing fine, and they were transplanted at the same time, so there was water in the soil, somewhere. The native irises in pots set into the ground and the hummingbird sage weren’t dessicated hulks, although they got less water and more sun than the ginger.
After this tragic loss, I increased watering for the remaining two plants. They’re surviving, but it seems that every time the temperature gets into the high nineties, they suffer. At this point, I’m not sure they’ll make it through the summer. If not, we’ll probably try again with a fall planting, perhaps next time using the foothill species.