Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Tender Perennial
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
North America, Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Alaska, Canada
Types
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Ornamental Tree
Number of Varieties
2030
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
Slopes, Swamps
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
A1, A2, A3, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm1,520.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm760.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Light Pink
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Light Yellow, Gold
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires plenty of water during the growing season
Requires regular watering
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, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut off the flower stalks at the base of the plant, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply 8-4-6 amount
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
-
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
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
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
-
Allergy
Rash
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
Cold, Cough, Gout, Laxative, Rheumatism, Wounds
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Rhizomes
Leaves, Wood
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Leaves used for wrapping zongi, Used to flavour noodles, Used to wrap mochi rice cakes
Animal Feed, Sometimes used for making wine
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
ALPINIA zerumbet
BETULA papyrifera
Common Name
Shell Ginger
Paper Birch
In Hindi
Shell Ginger
Paper birch
In German
Shell Ginger
Papierbirke
In French
Shell Ginger
Le bouleau à papier
In Spanish
Shell jengibre
abedul de papel
In Greek
Shell Τζίντζερ
σημύδα χαρτί
In Portuguese
Shell Ginger
vidoeiro de papel
In Polish
Shell Imbir
brzoza papieru
In Latin
Crusta Ginger
Paper betula
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Zingiberales
Fagales
Family
Zingiberaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Alpinia
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Alpinieae
-
Subfamily
Alpinioideae
-
Number of Species
15060
1
27800
👆🏻