Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Tender Perennial
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
South America
Types
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Heliotropium
Number of Varieties
20250
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
Coastal Regions, tropical environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-159-13
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
10-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 15, 16, 17, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm66.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm61.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Light Pink
White, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Ovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Deer resistant, Drought, Heat Tolerance
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
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
Acidic, 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, Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
-
Aphids, Mealybugs, Spider mites, Whiteflies
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Deer resistant, Drought, Heat Tolerance
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
Rash
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Cottage Garden, Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
-
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
Sore throat, Uterine Displacement
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Rhizomes
Flowers, Whole plant
Other Uses
Can be made into a herbal tea, Leaves used for wrapping zongi, Used to flavour noodles, Used to wrap mochi rice cakes
Decoration Purposes, Making Perfumes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for bedding in gardens
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Container, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
ALPINIA zerumbet
HELIOTROPIUM arborescens
Common Name
Shell Ginger
Heliotrope, Common Heliotrope, Garden Heliotrope
In Hindi
Shell Ginger
हेलीओट्रोप
In German
Shell Ginger
Heliotrop
In French
Shell Ginger
héliotrope
In Spanish
Shell jengibre
heliotropo
In Greek
Shell Τζίντζερ
ηλιοτρόπιο
In Portuguese
Shell Ginger
heliotrópio
In Polish
Shell Imbir
heliotrop
In Latin
Crusta Ginger
Heliotrope
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Zingiberales
Lamiales
Family
Zingiberaceae
Boraginaceae
Genus
Alpinia
Heliotropium
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Alpinieae
-
Subfamily
Alpinioideae
Heliotropioideae
Number of Species
150250
1
27800
👆🏻