Alpinia zerumbet
| Alpinia zerumbet | ||||||||||||||||||
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 As a streetplant | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Alpinia zerumbet (Pers.) B. L. Burtt and R. M. Smith |
Alpinia zerumbet (Light galangal, Pink porcelain lily, Shell flower, Shell ginger, Variegated ginger, Butterfly ginger, Japanese: gettō; Chinese: 艳山姜; pinyin: yàn shānjiāng) is a Chinese perennial plant of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae).
Characteristics
The plant can grow to a height of 1 to 3 m and bears funnel-formed flowers. Flowers have large yellow petals with red spots and stripes. There are three stamens, but only one has pollen. There is one pistil. The fruit is globose with many striations.
Growing the plant
It's best grown in originally rich medium wet, to wet well drained soils in full sun to part shade. Afternoon shade in hot summer climates, is recommended. As a house plant, it must have bright light, and humid conditions. Prune as needed, and remember that the plants wont flower till the second year, so don't worry if your plant isn't flowering right away.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Native to eastern Asia, this plant is a rhizomatous, ever green tropical perennial that grows in upright clumps 8-10 feet tall in tropical climates. In more typical conditions, it reaches 4-8 feet tall in the green house, and 3-4 feet tall, as a house plant. It is called a sheel ginger or shell flower most commonly, because its individual pink flowers, especially when in bud, resemble sea shells.
Use
The plant's long leaf blades are still used for wrapping zongzi.
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; from the article "Alpinia zerumbet". Image Credit.
