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Verdant asarabacca in brown fallen leaves

 

 

Asarabacca is an evergreen herbaceous plant. The pretty leaves remain on the plant throughout winter, they are kidney-shaped and leathery, as those of the Hepatica, or liverwort, with whom it often shares habitats. We can find asarabacca in fresh broadleaf forests, growing where the soil is moist and rich in humus. It is a quite common species in Estonian nature, less often occurring in North Estonia; it has not been found on the islands.

 

Its Estonian name metspipar, “wild pepper” or "forest pepper", comes from the peppery smell and bitter and spicy taste, but asarabacca cannot be used for flavouring food because of its toxicity. The peppery smell can be sensed on rubbing a piece of the plant between the fingers.

 

Animals avoid asarabacca, but fragrance producers use it – ancient and spicy forest smells are fashionable.