Asarum canadense

This record is for the broad treatment of Asarum canadense, including A. canadense varieties acuminatum, ambiguum, and reflexum, as recognized in FNA (vol. 3, 1997), Kartesz (1994, 1999), and Fernald (1950). Of these, only Fernald (1950) accepted the distinct varieties. In contrast, Weakley (2024) splits A. canadense into three species: A. acuminatum, A. reflexum, and A. canadense s.s. (but including var. ambiguum). Weakley (2024) notes that "taxa recognized at varietal or specific level in the past have recently often been ignored, but have merit and deserve further attention."

This species is has a very broad range in eastern North America and is frequently encountered in a wide variety of wooded habitats across its range. At present, collection pressure does not seem to be a major concern, however as with most herbs of medicinal value future changes in the market may put increased pressure on this species (Suggs pers. comm.).

Eastern North America (Kartesz, 1999), from the Gaspe Peninsula in southern Quebec (Labrecque pers. comm.); west to southeastern Manitoba (Punter pers. comm.), disjunct to mountains of western Manitoba (Punter pers. comm.), eastern South Dakota (Ode pers. comm.), eastern Kansas (Freeman pers. comm.); south to Louisiana (USDA-NRCS 1999), north-central Alabama (Schotz pers. comm.); east to the mountains of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

It is likely that several hundred to thousands of populations exist rangewide. Alabama: 40 to 50; Connecticut: >20; Indiana: thousands; Kansas: 30 to 50; Massachusetts: >20; Maryland: hundreds; Maine: 5; North Carolina: 50-100 on USFS lands (Kauffman pers. comm.); New Hampshire: >20; Rhode Island: 1; South Carolina: 8+; South Dakota: 2; Tennessee: 58+; Vermont: thousands; Manitoba: 30 to 40; Quebec: >100 (Brumback and Mehrhoff 1996, APSU 1999).

Since this is such a common species throughout much of its range, these numbers can only be estimates. Additional information on species distribution and the number of populations can be gleaned from county occurrence dot maps (USDA-NRCS 1999).

There is evidence, obtained from a reliable source, that collection from wild populations is occurring for the plant trade in Tennessee, North Carolina, South Dakota, and Manitoba.

There is virtually no existing market for this species at the national level, and hence it is apparently only sold regionally (Blakley pers. comm.). The first wildcrafting collection permit for this species for USDA Forest Service lands in North Carolina was in May 1999 (Kauffman pers. comm.). There is speculation of some low-level collection within Indian-owned parcels in South Dakota (Ode pers. comm.) and there is some low-level collection by native Americans in Manitoba (Punter pers. comm.). In Tennessee, this plant is collected from the wild and sold as nursery stock (Warren Co. Nursery). Most or all material on the market is from wildcrafted sources (Blakley pers. comm., Fletcher pers. comm.).

According to Kauffman (pers. comm.), there was a 1999 permit was for 250 pounds dry weight from the Black Mountains of North Carolina -- this amount may not have been met by actual collection. A large dealer in herbs based in the southern Appalachians sold 5,000-6,000 lbs. (dry) in 1999 (Fletcher pers. comm.).

A person knowledgable about the herbal medicinal trade says that the plant receives moderate use (M. McGuffin pers. comm.). The root is used.

As with all native forest herbs, habitat conversion and urban/rural development are significant direct threats (Homoya pers. comm., Pittman pers. comm., Kunsman pers. comm., Pearson pers. comm., Frye pers. comm., Freeman pers. comm.). Equally significant threats include habitat fragmentation and displacement by exotic species (Homoya pers. comm., Penskar pers. comm., Frye pers. comm., Enser pers. comm.). This species and its habitat are vulnerable to grazing and trampling by free-range cattle in portions of its range (Ode pers. comm.). Locally, limestone quarrying is one of the development pressures on this species given its affinity for limestone substrate (Labrecque pers. comm.).