Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Grass
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
North America, United States, Western United States, Southwestern United States, Mexico
Types
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Grasses
Number of Varieties
201
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
Dry areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-153-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
9 - 5
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm45.70 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Light Pink
White hair and some brown spots on margins and at tips
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Tan
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Pollution, Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Divison, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires plenty of water during the growing season
Medium
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
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
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply 8-4-6 amount
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
-
Beetles, Grasshoppers
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Butterflies
Allergy
Rash
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Erosion control
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
Cuts
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Rhizomes
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
Used to feed livestock
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
ALPINIA zerumbet
BOUTELOUA gracilis
Common Name
Shell Ginger
Blue Grama Grass, Mosquito Grass
In Hindi
Shell Ginger
Bouteloua gracilis
In German
Shell Ginger
Bouteloua Gracilis
In French
Shell Ginger
Bouteloua aristidoides
In Spanish
Shell jengibre
Chondrosum gracile
In Greek
Shell Τζίντζερ
Bouteloua gracilis
In Portuguese
Shell Ginger
Bouteloua Gracilis
In Polish
Shell Imbir
Bouteloua Gracilis
In Latin
Crusta Ginger
Bouteloua Gracilis
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Zingiberales
Cyperales
Family
Zingiberaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Alpinia
Bouteloua
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
Alpinieae
Cynodonteae
Subfamily
Alpinioideae
Chloridoideae
Number of Species
150100
1
27800
👆🏻