Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
Southeastern United States
Types
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Tree
Number of Varieties
20-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
Dappled Shade, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-155-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
9-3
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Clump-Forming
Pyramidal
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm460.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Light Pink
White
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Red, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Oblong to ablanceolate
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
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires plenty of water during the growing season
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam
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
Nitrate based fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
-
Beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Birds
Allergy
Rash
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
Hair Conditioner, Skin Problems
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
Cardiac, Diuretic, Refrigerant, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Rhizomes
Bark, Leaves
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Leaves used for wrapping zongi, Used to flavour noodles, Used to wrap mochi rice cakes
It is a remedy for treating fevers, Used in making tea, Used in treatment of mouth ulcers
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Feature Plant, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
ALPINIA zerumbet
OXYDENDRUM arboreum
Common Name
Shell Ginger
Sourwood
In Hindi
Shell Ginger
Sourwood
In German
Shell Ginger
Sourwood
In French
Shell Ginger
Sourwood
In Spanish
Shell jengibre
Sourwood
In Greek
Shell Τζίντζερ
Sourwood
In Portuguese
Shell Ginger
Sourwood
In Polish
Shell Imbir
Sourwood
In Latin
Crusta Ginger
Sourwood
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Zingiberales
Ericales
Family
Zingiberaceae
Ericaceae
Genus
Alpinia
Oxydendrum
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Alpinieae
Oxydendreae
Subfamily
Alpinioideae
Vaccinioideae
Number of Species
1501
1
27800
👆🏻