Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Fruit
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
Asia
Types
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Avalon Lemon, Bears Lemon, Buddha's Hand, Bush Lemon, Citron
Number of Varieties
2050
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
Mixed deciduous forest, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-159-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm120.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Light Pink
White
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Yellow, Lemon yellow
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
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
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
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, 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
Keep the ground moist but not water-logged, occasional watering once established
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
Generally pruned to waist height, pruning needed for strong structure, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Apply 8-4-6 amount
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Doesn't require fertilization when grown in rich soil
Pests and Diseases
-
Aphids, Grasshoppers, Leafminers, Red blotch, Rust, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Drought and Salt
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Rash
Diarrhea, Hyperacidity, Sore Throat, Whooping Cough
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Cottage Garden
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
Glowing Skin, Maintains teeth healthy, Making cosmetics, Nourishes scalp, Perfumes, Skin inflammation
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Fixes Nitrogen, Insect Repellent, soil stabilisation
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
Acne, Antibacterial, Antirheumatic, Appetizer, Bone strength, Digestion problems, Hangover, Healthy teeth, Nutrients, Obesity, Oral health, Skin irritation
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Rhizomes
Bark, Fruits, Leaf Stalks, 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
Air freshner, Biomass for fuel, Can be made into a herbal tea, Leaves are used as mosquito repellent, Making Perfumes, Preferably used as black tea, Used as a nutritious food item
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
ALPINIA zerumbet
CITRUS limon
Common Name
Shell Ginger
Lemon
In Hindi
Shell Ginger
नींबू
In German
Shell Ginger
Citrone or Limone or Zitrone
In French
Shell Ginger
Citron or Citronnier
In Spanish
Shell jengibre
Limón or Limonero
In Greek
Shell Τζίντζερ
Λεμόνι [Lemóni]
In Portuguese
Shell Ginger
Limão
In Polish
Shell Imbir
Cytrynowy
In Latin
Crusta Ginger
Limon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Zingiberales
Sapindales
Family
Zingiberaceae
Rutaceae
Genus
Alpinia
Citrus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Rosids
Tribe
Alpinieae
-
Subfamily
Alpinioideae
-
Number of Species
15050
1
27800
👆🏻