Life Span
Annual and Perennial
  
Perennial
  
Type
Aquatics
  
Tender Perennial
  
Origin
India
  
Southeastern Asia, India, Melanesia, Micronesia
  
Types
Not Available
  
Variegata Dwarf, Variegata Chinese Beauty
  
Habitat
subtropical regions, Tropical regions
  
Tropical regions
  
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-15
  
8-15
  
AHS Heat Zone
12-6
  
12-5
  
Sunset Zone
21,22
  
H1, H2, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
  
Habit
Spreading
  
Clump-Forming
  
Plant Size
  
  
Plant Color
  
  
Flower Color
White, Lavender
  
White, Red, Light Pink
  
Flower Color Modifier
Not Available
  
Multi-Color
  
Fruit Color
Green, Reddish Plum
  
Not Available
  
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
  
Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Summer
Green
  
Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
  
Dark Green
  
Leaf Color in Winter
Green
  
Dark Green
  
Shape
  
  
Leaf Shape
Long Elliptic
  
Lance shaped
  
Thorns
No
  
No
  
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
  
Growing Conditions
  
  
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Partial Sun, Partial shade
  
Growth Rate
Very Fast
  
Fast
  
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
  
Loam, Sand
  
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
  
Acidic, Neutral
  
Soil Drainage
Poorly Drained
  
Average
  
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
  
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
  
Repeat Bloomer
Yes
  
No
  
Tolerances
Wet Site
  
Drought
  
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
  
Container, Ground, Pot
  
How to Plant?
Seedlings
  
By dividing rhizomes, tubers
  
Plant Maintenance
Medium
  
Medium
  
Watering Plants
  
  
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
  
Requires plenty of water during the growing season
  
In Summer
Lots of watering
  
Lots of watering
  
In Spring
Moderate
  
Moderate
  
In Winter
Average Water
  
Average Water
  
Soil
  
  
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
  
Acidic, Neutral
  
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
  
Loam, Sand
  
Soil Drainage Capacity
Poorly Drained
  
Average
  
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
  
Partial Sun, Partial shade
  
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
  
Cut off the flower stalks at the base of the plant, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
  
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
  
Apply 8-4-6 amount
  
Pests and Diseases
Bacterial leaf spot, Damping-off, Root rot
  
No serious insect or disease problems
  
Plant Tolerance
Drought
  
Drought
  
Flowers
Showy
  
Showy
  
Flower Petal Number
Single
  
Single
  
Fruits
  
  
Showy Fruit
No
  
No
  
Edible Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrance
  
  
Fragrant Flower
Yes
  
Yes
  
Fragrant Fruit
No
  
No
  
Fragrant Leaf
No
  
Yes
  
Fragrant Bark/Stem
No
  
Yes
  
Showy Foliage
Yes
  
No
  
Showy Bark
No
  
No
  
Foliage Texture
Medium
  
Coarse
  
Foliage Sheen
Matte
  
Glossy
  
Evergreen
No
  
No
  
Invasive
Yes
  
No
  
Self-Sowing
Yes
  
Yes
  
Attracts
Birds, Hens
  
Butterflies, Not Available
  
Allergy
Not Available
  
Rash
  
Uses
  
  
Aesthetic Uses
Farmland
  
Showy Purposes
  
Beauty Benefits
Not Available
  
Good for skin
  
Edible Uses
Yes
  
Yes
  
Environmental Uses
Air purification
  
Air purification
  
Plant Benefits
  
  
Medicinal Uses
Anti-ageing Benefits, Antidiabetic, Reduces toothache, Skin Diseases
  
Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic, Hypotensive
  
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Shoots, Stem
  
Leaves, Rhizomes
  
Other Uses
Used in curries, soups, stews
  
Can be made into a herbal tea, Leaves used for wrapping zongi, Used to flavour noodles, Used to wrap mochi rice cakes
  
Used As Indoor Plant
Sometimes
  
Yes
  
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Garden Design
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Tropical, Water Gardens
  
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Screening / Wind Break, Tropical
  
Botanical Name
IPOMOEA aquatica
  
ALPINIA zerumbet
  
Common Name
Swamp Cabbage, Swamp Morning Glory, Water Spinach
  
Shell Ginger
  
In Hindi
Water Spinach
  
Shell Ginger
  
In German
Wasser-Spinat
  
Shell Ginger
  
In French
Épinards d'eau
  
Shell Ginger
  
In Spanish
La espinaca de agua
  
Shell jengibre
  
In Greek
Σπανάκι νερό
  
Shell Τζίντζερ
  
In Portuguese
Espinafre de água
  
Shell Ginger
  
In Polish
Szpinak wodny
  
Shell Imbir
  
In Latin
Water Spinach
  
Crusta Ginger
  
Kingdom
Plantae
  
Plantae
  
Phylum
Spermatophyta
  
Magnoliophyta
  
Class
Magnoliopsida
  
Lilopsida
  
Order
Solanales
  
Zingiberales
  
Family
Convolvulaceae
  
Zingiberaceae
  
Genus
Ipomoea
  
Alpinia
  
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
  
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
  
Tribe
Ipomoeeae
  
Alpinieae
  
Subfamily
Not Available
  
Alpinioideae
  
Number of Species
Not Available
  
Importance of Water Spinach and Shell Ginger
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Water Spinach and Shell Ginger. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Water Spinach and Shell Ginger as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Water Spinach is Anti-ageing Benefits, Antidiabetic, Reduces toothache and Skin Diseases whereas of Shell Ginger is Antiulcerogenic, Diuretic and Hypotensive. Water Spinach has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available while Shell Ginger has beauty benefits as follows: Not Available.
Compare Facts of Water Spinach vs Shell Ginger
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Water Spinach vs Shell Ginger and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Water Spinach are Not Available whereas of Shell Ginger have Rash respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Water Spinach has no showy fruits and Shell Ginger has no showy fruits. Also Water Spinach is not flowering and Shell Ginger is not flowering . You can compare Water Spinach and Shell Ginger facts and facts of other plants too.