European ginger

While it has a similar aroma, European ginger is not related to the ginger we use in our kitchens, Zingiber offcinale. Useful in other ways, European ginger can be used as a spice, and in the past, it was used medicinally, as well as in snuff. It is a short plant: look carefully to see the dark-purple flowers that are often hidden by the heart-shaped, dark-green leaves.