Shall ginger is a plant I see fairly frequently at the moment, which is a good thing. It is usually the variegated form of the plant, which I do like too, as it adds a bit of colour without having to have flowers there too. Shell ginger is an evergreen herbaceous perennial with leaves that can reach up to three meters tall. It is native to south-east Asia, including southern China, Japan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Malaysia-quite a widespread plant really. The native habitat of shell ginger is open forest, in shady areas. The common name of shell ginger comes from the colour of the flowers, which are pearly white with a hint of pink, resembling the pearlescent shells found on the beach. The binomial (Latin) name Alpinia zerumbet means the following:

• Alpinnia-named after the Italian botanist Prospero Alpini
• Zerumbet-a plant whose stem has a spicy aroma, and is used as a medicine and/or a condiment

Here in Sydney, shell ginger is grown for its foliage and is used as a mass planting plant, in both shade and full sun, along with everything in between. It always looks better with part sun and shade, preferably afternoon shade to reduce the heat stress received in summer.

From the information that I have read, shell ginger is happy in partial shade to full sun, provided the humidity is there too (which isn’t always the case in Sydney on its hottest days). The best climate for shell ginger is tropical and sub-tropical, but is often grown in colder climates as an annual.

The plant is grown mainly for its foliage, especially the variegated form. The lance-shaped leaves are on long, arching stems, that grow from a rhizome in the soil. The species has dark green leaves, while the variegated form has irregular yellow and green striping which looks really good-it’s this form I see most.

The inflorescence appears on old growth. The drooping racemes grow at the end of the stems. Individual flowers are funnel-shaped. As mentioned already, the flower colour is pearly white on the outside, but inside they are bright yellow with red markings. Unfortunately, I have never seen any flowers. The flowers apparently do have a slight smell to them. Striated fruit follow the flowers.

Shell ginger needs fertile moist but well-drained soil. The addition of plenty of organic matter is also important for the plant to thrive, as is plenty of water when the plant is growing. If growing in a pot, fertilise the plant monthly and don’t let the soil dry out.

Maintenance is easy-just remove any dead and dying foliage and flowers. In winter, the rhizomes can be dug up and stored until the spring. In Sydney, I dint because it never gets cold enough for such a task to be worthwhile, especially as shell ginger doesn’t die back over winter-it can be left to keep going in the colder months. If grown in pots in colder areas, they will need to be moved indoors around the time of the first frosts, and put outside again after the last frost.

Garden uses for shell ginger include a mass planting, especially the variegated form when planted next to plants with dark green leaves, the contrast of leaf colour looks really good especially when there are leaves of other shapes too. Tropical gardens are a good home for shell ginger, or even if you want it as a statement plant.

Shell ginger is a very nice ornamental plant to have around in the garden, especially if you have space to plant a few together for more of an impact. If I had the space, I would have some in my garden.

• All photos are my own
• Https://tropical.theferns.info
• Https://sunshinecoastplants.com.au
• Https://hort.extension.wcsc.edu/articles/variegated-shell-ginger-alpinina-zerumbet-variegata