Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Tree
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
Northeastern United States, North-Central United States
Types
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Sugar Maple, Norway Maple, Red Maple
Number of Varieties
2015
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
bottomlands, Forests, Moist Soils
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-154-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
8-3
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, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm3,779.52 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm1,219.20 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Light Pink
Yellow green, Chartreuse
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Yellow, Red, Orange
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Toothed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Early Spring, Spring
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, Do Not over Water, 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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
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
-
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Bees, Birds
Allergy
Rash
Pollen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Rhizomes
Sap, Tree trunks
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Leaves used for wrapping zongi, Used to flavour noodles, Used to wrap mochi rice cakes
Edible syrup, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Shade Trees, Street Trees
Botanical Name
ALPINIA zerumbet
ACER nigrum
Common Name
Shell Ginger
Black Maple
In Hindi
Shell Ginger
Black Maple Tree
In German
Shell Ginger
Schwarz Ahorn
In French
Shell Ginger
Noir Érable
In Spanish
Shell jengibre
Negro del árbol de arce
In Greek
Shell Τζίντζερ
Μαύρο Maple Tree
In Portuguese
Shell Ginger
Árvore de bordo preto
In Polish
Shell Imbir
Czarny klon
In Latin
Crusta Ginger
White Acer ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Zingiberales
Sapindales
Family
Zingiberaceae
Aceraceae
Genus
Alpinia
Acer
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Alpinieae
Areceae
Subfamily
Alpinioideae
Hippocastanoideae
Number of Species
15010
1
27800
👆🏻