Zingiber - Plant Encyclopedia Results (Page 2)

This ginger has tall, erect stems with narrow leaves, this basal bloomer produces green cones that turn red when mature. It is a herbaceous perennial with upright stems and narrow medium green leaves arranged in two ranks on each stem. Ginger grows from an aromatic tuberlike rhizome (underground stem) which is warty and branched. The inflorescence grows on a separate stem from the foliage stem, and forms a dense spike. The bracts are green with translucent margins and the small flowers are yellow green with purple lips and cream colored blotches. Most of edible gingers in cultivation are sterile cultivars grown for the edible rhizome, and the flower is rarely seen. Ginger is often grown in a container and brought indoors in winter when water and light are reduced and the plant is allowed to "rest." Common cooking gingers are rarely found in garden centers as potted plants because they do not have much ornamental value. Plant this ginger in the garden to produce your own fresh ginger.

This is the smallest of the beehive gingers.

Pinecone ginger is considered a canoe plant, that is, a plant introduced throughout the Pacific by the ancient Polynesian settlers. All parts of the pinecone ginger are spicy fragrant. The leaves and inflorescences of the pinecone ginger arise from a thick knobby rhizome that grows just under the surface of the soil. The leaflets are arranged alternately along an arching pseudostem that grows one to two meters (3 to 7 feet) in length. The inflorescence is borne on a separate pseudostem from the leaves. It is a spike; bracts subtend the position of each of the flowers giving the inflorescence its pinecone shape. The inflorescence is green until flowering. The pale yellow or white flowers emerge from the lowest bracts first, when the flower is spent, it dries and falls away. After flowering, the bracts change color. The color change continues upward until the entire inflorescence is bright crimson. This is an excellent fast-growing landscape plant for tropical effect, and the cone shaped flowers are long lasting and useful for cut flower arrangements. This plant is most widely known around the world as the "Shampoo Ginger" for the milky substance in the cones, and it is in fact used as a shampoo in Asia and Hawaii, and as an ingredient in several commercial shampoos. In mid to late summer, separate stalks grow out of the ground with green cone-shaped bracts that resemble pinecones. The green cone turns red over a couple of weeks and then small creamy yellow flowers appear on the cone.

Amomum dealbatum is a large rhizomatous herbaceous perennial in the Zingiberaceae family native to tropical Southeast Asia, from Indochina and southern China through the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra and Java. It forms dense clumps of tall leafy pseudostems arising from spreading underground rhizomes and can reach about 6-10 feet (1.8-3 m) tall. The long, lance-shaped leaves create lush tropical foliage, while the inflorescences arise separately from the rhizomes close to ground level. Pale flowers with yellow and reddish markings are followed by conspicuous rounded to ovoid fruits that mature to bright red, standing out beneath the foliage.

Amomum dealbatum grows best in warm, humid conditions, partial shade to bright filtered light, and fertile, well-drained soil with regular moisture. Its vigorous rhizomes require adequate space and can gradually form substantial colonies in favorable climates. The aromatic fruits and seeds have been used locally as a spice and in traditional medicine, although this species should not be confused with the several other members of the ginger family sold commercially as cardamom. Best suited to USDA Zones 10-11, it should be protected from frost and prolonged cold. Its tall foliage, unusual ground-level flowers, and colorful fruits make it an attractive specimen for tropical and subtropical gardens.

Cornukaempferia is a rhizomatous genus in the Zingiberaceae family found only in Thailand.

The Orange Peacock Ginger is prized for its silver and green patterned leaves, which have bronze-purple undersides.It is an easy plant in shady, reasonably a well-drained soil.

It is similar to plants in the genus Kaempferia but it has yellow flowers.

Curcuma australasica, commonly known as Cape York Lily or Native Turmeric, is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial in the Zingiberaceae family native to northern Australia, New Guinea, and the Maluku Islands. It grows naturally in wet tropical habitats and forms seasonal clumps of broad, prominently pleated green leaves arising from underground rhizomes. Upright inflorescences appear during the growing season, with overlapping green to pale bracts, often becoming pink or purplish toward the upper portion, and small yellow true flowers emerging between them. The foliage dies back seasonally, leaving the plant dormant as underground rhizomes until warm conditions stimulate new growth.

Curcuma australasica grows best in warm conditions, partial shade to bright filtered light, and fertile, well-drained soil with regular moisture during active growth. Watering should be greatly reduced during dormancy. The species is well suited to tropical gardens and containers, and ornamental selections have been developed for particularly colorful and long-lasting floral bracts. Hardy in approximately USDA Zones 9-11, it benefits from winter protection and good drainage in the colder part of its range.

(Curcuma longa), commonly known as Turmeric, is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial in the Zingiberaceae family, originating in tropical South and Southeast Asia and known primarily as an ancient cultivated crop rather than as a truly wild species. It forms clumps of broad, strongly veined green leaves arising from thick, branching underground rhizomes and typically reaches 2-4 feet (60-120 cm) tall. The inflorescences consist of overlapping pale green to whitish bracts, often flushed with pink toward the top, with small yellowish to pale yellow true flowers emerging between them. The foliage dies back seasonally, leaving the rhizomes dormant until warm conditions stimulate new growth.

(Curcuma longa) grows best in warm, humid conditions, partial shade to bright filtered light, and fertile, well-drained soil with abundant moisture during active growth. Watering should be greatly reduced after the foliage dies back. The aromatic yellow-orange rhizomes are dried and ground to produce turmeric, widely used as a spice, food coloring, and traditional medicinal ingredient; they are rich in curcuminoids, particularly curcumin. Hardy in approximately USDA Zones 8-11, the rhizomes can survive colder winters when deeply mulched and protected from prolonged freezing and excessive winter moisture, while in colder climates they can be lifted or grown in containers and overwintered indoors. (Curcuma longa), commonly known as Turmeric, is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial in the Zingiberaceae family, originating in tropical South and Southeast Asia and known primarily as an ancient cultivated crop rather than as a truly wild species. It forms clumps of broad, strongly veined green leaves arising from thick, branching underground rhizomes and typically reaches 2-4 feet (60-120 cm) tall. The inflorescences consist of overlapping pale green to whitish bracts, often flushed with pink toward the top, with small yellowish to pale yellow true flowers emerging between them. The foliage dies back seasonally, leaving the rhizomes dormant until warm conditions stimulate new growth.

(Curcuma longa) grows best in warm, humid conditions, partial shade to bright filtered light, and fertile, well-drained soil with abundant moisture during active growth. Watering should be greatly reduced after the foliage dies back. The aromatic yellow-orange rhizomes are dried and ground to produce turmeric, widely used as a spice, food coloring, and traditional medicinal ingredient; they are rich in curcuminoids, particularly curcumin. Hardy in approximately USDA Zones 8-11, the rhizomes can survive colder winters when deeply mulched and protected from prolonged freezing and excessive winter moisture, while in colder climates they can be lifted or grown in containers and overwintered indoors.