Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
Latin America and the Caribbean, Central America, Micronesia
Types
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
Hannah Yams, Japanese Sweet Potatoes
Number of Varieties
20400
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Tropical regions
Cold Regions, Tropical regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-1511-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-5
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
21,22
Habit
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
120.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Light Pink
-
Flower Color Modifier
Multi-Color
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Dark Green
Green, Purple, Light Green, Chartreuse, Bronze
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Several shades of Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Heart-shaped
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
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Late Fall, Early Winter, Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
Stem Cutting, Tuber propagation
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires plenty of water during the growing season
Average Water Needs, Needs a lot of water initially
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, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, 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
-
Aphids, Beetles, Leafminers, Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Butterflies
Aphids, Beetles, Mites, white worms
Allergy
Rash
Abdominal pain, Skin rash, Swelling, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
Good for skin
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Rhizomes
Leaves, Root, Shoots
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 for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border, Vine
Botanical Name
ALPINIA zerumbet
IPOMOEA batatas
Common Name
Shell Ginger
Sweet Potato, Sweet Potato Vine
In Hindi
Shell Ginger
शकरकंद
In German
Shell Ginger
Süßkartoffel
In French
Shell Ginger
Patate douce
In Spanish
Shell jengibre
Batata
In Greek
Shell Τζίντζερ
Γλυκοπατάτα
In Portuguese
Shell Ginger
Batata doce
In Polish
Shell Imbir
Słodki ziemniak
In Latin
Crusta Ginger
Dulcis SOLANUM TUBEROSUM
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Lilopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Zingiberales
Solanales
Family
Zingiberaceae
Convolvulaceae
Genus
Alpinia
Ipomoea
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
Alpinieae
-
Subfamily
Alpinioideae
-
Number of Species
150400
1
27800
👆🏻