Alpinia zerumbet (Green Shell Ginger)
Author: Marta Hackett Date Posted:9 October 2024
Looking for a hardy, cold tolerant understory filler plant? We may have the perfect plant! And the best part is, it can tolerate temperate and tropical climates as well as full sun and shade positions in the garden. Introducing the Alpinia zerumbet, also known as the Green Shell Ginger.
Green Shell Ginger is the common name for this versatile ginger variety. The “Green” part of the name differentiates this variety from the variegated form and the “Shell” denotes the astounding likeness the flower has to deep sea shells.
Alpinia zerumbet (Green Shell Ginger) blooming
Alpinia zerumbet (Green Shell Ginger)
Alpinia zerumbet (Green Shell Ginger) blooming
The closed flower hangs from the top of the stem like a pendant and shares the likeness of a shimmering pearl with a pale pink body and magnificent magenta tip. The flower opens to look like a deep sea shell, with a beneficial bee attracting yellow and orange throat. The bright internal colour is like a moth to a flame the way the predator insects find this beauty.
Here at Bamboo Land, you will see these glamorous flowers from early Spring, then they will slowly stop producing flowers once we enter Summer. For the rest of the year though, you will still have the impressive fleshy green leaves which will add a glossy mid story section to your perimeter. Once that flower has died, the stem will last for another year and then come just before the next spring season, it's the perfect time to snip out those old flowering stems to tidy up the plant. The stems are slightly woody, so we recommend using a pair of secateurs and prune from the centre. The cut stems can be placed around the base of the Alpinia clumps for mulch.
Here at Bamboo Land, we use master craftsmen secateurs as their premium quality can handle our daily use here at the Nursery. We supply them here and can be added to your order.
Secateurs - 200mm Tobisho SR-1
Secateurs - 200mm Hand forged - B -Type
Secateurs - 200mm Hand Type - SF -Type
We use the leather pouches to house the secateurs for protection and easy access around the nursery and could be a great addition to your garden belt.
Most gardeners will opt for the Alpinia zerumbet in colder climates when the tropical lush green look of heliconias is desired. Heliconias are the quintessential tropical plant, but they just don’t grow well in colder climates as they are designed to grow in high humidity, hot climates. Although this plant can tolerate a variety of climates and positions including the coastal fringes of Sydney, NSW and the warmer regions in Melbourne, VIC, we do not recommend anywhere that could expose the plant to frost.
This plant can tolerate full sun when the soil is kept moist and can grow up to 2m. When in partial shade, the plant can reach impressive 3m heights, this condition is where these tropical plants truly shine.
At Bamboo Land we supply these gingers in 180mm pots with the plant typically 50-60cm tall, 300mm which are 1m-1.2m tall and 400mm pots too. The larger size pots will give an instant transformation to your garden offering a beautiful screen and protection for your shade ground covers like bromeliads, calatheas, ferns and more. For a tighter screen with the aim for the clumps to join together eventually, we recommend planting these 1 metre apart. They should begin to touch within 2-3 metres. If you prefer an open look at ground level with the foliage touching at the top, then closer to 2 metres apart would be the ideal position.
We hope you found this helpful, we just adore the Alpinia’s and we think you’ll find them to be an exceptional plant in your garden, too.
Buy your very own here.