Life Span
Perennial
Annual or Biennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Vegetable
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
Mexico, Central America
Types
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Mexican potato,Mexican yam bean
Number of Varieties
20-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
agricultural areas, Moist Soils, Wet ground
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-159-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
12-8
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm50.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Light Pink
White, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Heart-shaped
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
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Dry soil, Shallow soil
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
From bulbs
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires plenty of water during the growing season
Keep ground moist
In Summer
Lots of watering
Average Water
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Moderate
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
Pests and Diseases
-
Beetles, Leaf spot, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Shade areas, Shallow soil
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Butterflies, Mice
Allergy
Rash
Irritation to stomach, Itchiness
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
Improve skin tone
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Soil protection
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
Cold, Fever, Inflammation
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Rhizomes
Bulbs, Root
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 Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Edible, Herb, Vegetable, Tropical, Vine
Botanical Name
ALPINIA zerumbet
PACHYRHIZUS erosus
Common Name
Shell Ginger
Mexican Yam bean
In Hindi
Shell Ginger
Pachyrhizus erosus
In German
Shell Ginger
Yambohne
In French
Shell Ginger
Kłębian kątowaty
In Spanish
Shell jengibre
Pachyrhizus erosus
In Greek
Shell Τζίντζερ
Pachyrhizus erosus
In Portuguese
Shell Ginger
Pachyrhizus erosus
In Polish
Shell Imbir
Pachyrhizus erosus
In Latin
Crusta Ginger
Pachyrhizus erosus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Angiosperms
Class
Lilopsida
Eudicotyledones
Order
Zingiberales
Fabales
Family
Zingiberaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Alpinia
Pachyrhizus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms
Tribe
Alpinieae
-
Subfamily
Alpinioideae
-
Number of Species
150100
1
27800
👆🏻