Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Not avilable
Number of Varieties
2010
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
Desert
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-15-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
-
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Weeping
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm4.20 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Light Pink
Dark Salmon, Sandy Brown, White, Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Multi-Color
Fruit Color
-
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Succulent
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
-
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Early Spring, Early Summer, Late Spring, Late Winter, Mid Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Grafting, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires plenty of water during the growing season
Average Water Needs
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
-
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
-
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial shade
-
Pruning
Cut off the flower stalks at the base of the plant, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
-
Fertilizers
Apply 8-4-6 amount
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
-
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Semi-Double
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
-
Allergy
Rash
Itchiness
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Hanging Basket, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
-
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Rhizomes
Fruits, Nut
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 Ornamental plant, Used for Landscaping
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Container, Houseplant, Lawns and Turf, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
ALPINIA zerumbet
Selenicereus pteranthus
Common Name
Shell Ginger
Selenicereus, Moonlight cactus
In Hindi
Shell Ginger
moonlight cactus
In German
Shell Ginger
Selenicereus
In French
Shell Ginger
Selenicereus
In Spanish
Shell jengibre
Selenicereus
In Greek
Shell Τζίντζερ
Selenicereus
In Portuguese
Shell Ginger
Selenicereus
In Polish
Shell Imbir
Selenicereus
In Latin
Crusta Ginger
moonlight cactus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Zingiberales
Caryophyllales
Family
Zingiberaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Alpinia
Selenicereus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Alpinieae
Hylocereeae
Subfamily
Alpinioideae
Cactoideae
Number of Species
1501
1
27800
👆🏻