Botanical atlas
Upright Wild Ginger
Saruma henryi
This plant is kept in the atlas for identification and safety, not for use. Read the safety notes below before handling it, and keep it away from children, cats, and food.
Saruma henryi carries its story in its name as much as its history. It was collected in the mountains of central China and named for the Irish plant hunter Augustine Henry, who spent decades cataloguing the extraordinary flora of that region in the late 1800s. Unlike its famous cousin wild ginger, Saruma has never held a place in traditional medicine or the kitchen. Its real legacy has been with botanists and woodland gardeners, who prize it as one of the few members of the birthwort family grown simply for the pleasure of its heart-shaped leaves and cheerful, long-lasting flowers.
Safety.
Saruma henryi belongs to the birthwort family, which includes species containing aristolochic acid linked to serious kidney damage; it has no history of culinary or medicinal use and shouldn't be eaten or brewed.
Our sister app HerbLens identifies upright wild ginger from a photo and keeps its full botanical portrait: growing guide, harvest notes, and look-alike warnings.
View on HerbLensHerbSense shares traditional herbal knowledge for education, not diagnosis or treatment. Herbs can interact with medicines and conditions. Speak with your doctor before acting on anything here, and seek care promptly for anything severe, sudden, or worsening.