Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southern Asia, India, Melanesia, Australia
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
Types
Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Number of Varieties
120
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Well Drained
Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-118-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-5
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 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
370.00 cm180.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
300.00 cm120.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Purple
White, Red, Light Pink
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Multi-Color
Fruit Color
Yellow
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
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
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Winter, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Budding, Cuttings
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep the Soil well drained, Requires watering in the growing season
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, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune in spring, Remove branches, 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
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, fertilize in spring, fertilize in summer, organic fertlizers
Apply 8-4-6 amount
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies
Butterflies
Allergy
Asthma
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
Respiratory Disorders, Soothing and relieving pain
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Fruits
Leaves, Rhizomes
Other Uses
Making Perfumes, Traditional medicine, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
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, Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Shade Trees, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Botanical Name
CITRUS medica var. sarcodactylis
ALPINIA zerumbet
Common Name
Buddha's Hand, Fingered Citron
Shell Ginger
In Hindi
Buddha's Hand
Tree
Shell Ginger
In German
Buddhas Hand
Baum
Shell Ginger
In French
Main de Bouddha
Arbre
Shell Ginger
In Spanish
Mano de Buda
Árbol
Shell jengibre
In Greek
Χέρι του Βούδα
Δέντρο
Shell Τζίντζερ
In Portuguese
Mão de Buda
Árvore
Shell Ginger
In Polish
Ręka Buddy
Drzewo
Shell Imbir
In Latin
Buddha manus
Arbor
Crusta Ginger
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Magnoliophyta
Class
-
Lilopsida
Order
Sapindales
Zingiberales
Family
Rutaceae
Zingiberaceae
Genus
Citrus
Alpinia
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Alpinieae
Subfamily
-
Alpinioideae
Number of Species
1150
1
27800
👆🏻