It is widespread across Europe, ranging from southern Finland and northern Russia south to southern France, Italy and Skopia.
It is also grown extensively outside of its range as an ornamental.
It is sometimes harvested for use as a spice or a flavoring.
The stems are 10-15 cm long. The leaves are petiolate and reniform and about 10 cm wide.
It occurs mostly in deciduous woodland or coniferous forests, especially in calcareous soils.
There are two recognised subspecies other than the type, including A. europaeum ssp. caucasicum, which is confined to the southwestern Alps, and A. europaeum ssp. italicum, which is found in central and northern Italy as well as in former Jugoslavia.
In former days, it was used in snuff and also medicinally as an emetic and cathartic.
It is quite shade-tolerant and is often employed as a ground cover in gardens where little else will grow.