Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
Eastern Europe
Types
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Iris
Number of Varieties
2025
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
Terrestrial
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-154-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
9-1
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, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm10.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm15.20 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Light Pink
Yellow, Lavender, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Sea Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Sea Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Sea Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Lanceolate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
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
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
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
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
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
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Hummingbirds
Allergy
Rash
Skin irritation
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
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Rhizomes
-
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 as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Alpine, Edging, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
ALPINIA zerumbet
IRIS pumila
Common Name
Shell Ginger
Dwarf Iris
In Hindi
Shell Ginger
Dwarf Iris
In German
Shell Ginger
Zwergiris
In French
Shell Ginger
Dwarf Iris
In Spanish
Shell jengibre
Enano Iris
In Greek
Shell Τζίντζερ
νάνος Ίρις
In Portuguese
Shell Ginger
Dwarf Iris
In Polish
Shell Imbir
Dwarf Iris
In Latin
Crusta Ginger
Iris Dwarf
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Zingiberales
Liliales
Family
Zingiberaceae
Iridaceae
Genus
Alpinia
Iris
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
Alpinieae
Irideae
Subfamily
Alpinioideae
Iridoideae
Number of Species
150300
1
27800
👆🏻