Saint Wild Ginger - 2018
20" x 24"
Acrylic on wood
$5,000
From the "Oregon Native Saints" series
Notes from the artist:
In early spring, the attractive dark red flowers of wild ginger appear on the Oregon forest floor. They look like advanced alien ships hiding from view behind heart-shaped foliage. Although not related to culinary ginger, the roots produce a scent that is similar. Fresh or dried roots of wild ginger were used as a ginger substitute in times past, but the plant is not normally used today for culinary purposes, as it can contain poisonous compounds. Wild ginger's seeds attract ants, which carry the seeds to their underground homes where they eat the tasty outgrowths of the seeds and leave the seeds themselves to germinate.
