Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Grass
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
North America, United States, Canada
Types
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Schizachyrium scoparium
Number of Varieties
2030
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
Hillside, Prairies, Roadsides
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-152-7
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
7 - 1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Light Pink
-
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Yellow, Red, Bronze, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Tan, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Average
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Divison, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires plenty of water during the growing season
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Ample Water
In Winter
Average Water
Ample Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Average
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Cut off the flower stalks at the base of the plant, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
No pruning needed in the early stages, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply 8-4-6 amount
No fertilizers needed
Pests and Diseases
-
fungus, Leaf spot
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Bees
Allergy
Rash
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Erosion control, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Rhizomes
Whole plant
Other Uses
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
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Cutflower, Dried Flower/Everlasting, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Botanical Name
ALPINIA zerumbet
SCHIZACHYRIUM scoparium
Common Name
Shell Ginger
Little Bluestem
In Hindi
Shell Ginger
little bluestem
In German
Shell Ginger
wenig bluestem
In French
Shell Ginger
barbon
In Spanish
Shell jengibre
Poco bluestem
In Greek
Shell Τζίντζερ
Μικρή bluestem
In Portuguese
Shell Ginger
pouco bluestem
In Polish
Shell Imbir
trochę bluestem
In Latin
Crusta Ginger
parum bluestem
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Zingiberales
Cyperales
Family
Zingiberaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Alpinia
Schizachyrium
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Alpinieae
Andropogoneae
Subfamily
Alpinioideae
Panicoideae
Number of Species
15010
1
27800
👆🏻