Life Span
Annual and Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Tender Perennial
Origin
Brazil
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
Types
Yellow Bloodleaf, Herbst's Bloodleaf, Standley's Bloodleaf
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Number of Varieties
7020
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
tropical environments
Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
11-158-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-1
12-5
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.24 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.32 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White, Red, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Multi-Color
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Red, Green, Purple
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Red, Green, Purple
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Red, Green, Purple
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Lance shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
-
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Softwood cuttings, Stem Cutting, Tip cutting
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Medium
Requires plenty of water during the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove branches that rub together, Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Cut off the flower stalks at the base of the plant, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Balanced liquid fertilizer every 4 weeks
Apply 8-4-6 amount
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
-
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Insects, Wildlife
Butterflies
Allergy
Pollen
Rash
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Good for skin
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Indoor Air Purification, Provides ground cover
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Leaves, Rhizomes
Other Uses
Showy Purposes
Can be made into a herbal tea, Leaves used for wrapping zongi, Used to flavour noodles, Used to wrap mochi rice cakes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Mixed Border
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Botanical Name
IRESINE herbstii
ALPINIA zerumbet
Common Name
Bloodleaf, Herbst's bloodleaf
Shell Ginger
In Hindi
Bloodleaf Plant
Shell Ginger
In German
Bloodleaf Pflanze
Shell Ginger
In French
Feuillesang Plante
Shell Ginger
In Spanish
Planta Sangrienta
Shell jengibre
In Greek
Bloodleaf φυτών
Shell Τζίντζερ
In Portuguese
Bloodleaf Planta
Shell Ginger
In Polish
Bloodleaf roślin
Shell Imbir
In Latin
Planta Bloodleaf
Crusta Ginger
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Lilopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Zingiberales
Family
Amaranthaceae
Zingiberaceae
Genus
Iresine
Alpinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Gomphreneae
Alpinieae
Subfamily
Gomphrenoideae
Alpinioideae
Number of Species
70150
1
27800
👆🏻