PlantFiles: Shell Ginger, Variegated Shell Ginger
Alpinia zerumbet 'Variegata'

My varigated ginger has been beautiful until this past summer when we had 65+ days above 100 degrees. It has been dying for several months and besides the brown dead parts of leaves has brown on stalks. I don't know what to do for it and have searched, to no avail, on internet. Can anyone help me.
I have cut it back but have lost about half of my plants.
Thanks,
Norma

leaves make very long lasting greenery for flower arrangements

Originally planted (2) 3 gal. plants behind a large Sago near my front entrance. They have since quadrulpled in size and are still growing larger while providing a tropical framing or backdrop for the Sago. I also planted a grouping of the red-leafed banana's behind the variegated shell ginger which gave my south Mississippi front yard a truly exotic look! They also look good mixed in with more traditional foundation plantings. I have some growing behind a row of blooming 'Shishi Gashira' camellia and the combo of bright yellow foliage and pink blooms looks great. Plus, when the ginger does die back for the winter you'll still have some evergreens to maintain interest.

This plant also grows in Baton Rouge, LA

We had a big beautiful stand of shell ginger in the backyard that was totally killed off when the terribly badly designed and neglected levees broke here in New Orleans in 2005 following the hurricane katrina that actually missed our city. The shell ginger grew all along the back fence and made a perfect natural privacy screen. Yes, it can be a bit hard to contol it if you have to, but it is well worth the occasional effort. It looks so beautiful when it has room to spread. I too saw the very inacurate description listed on this page about the beautiful flowers of this plant. The flowers resemble exotic orchids and are beautiful in shades af brilliant yellow , red and pink. The buds do indeed look like pink and white shells before they open to reveal the colorful flowers. I plan to buy more and have it in my yard again. I have had to replace all the beautiful plants that we lost. I already have replaced some.

Best to keep it in a pot and overwinter it in a frost area like a greenhouse. It will then bloom the following year on the old wood.

I love my ginger but it does need protection from our hot sun here in central Florida.

I understand it will not bloom if there is a frost; it requires old growth.

Low maintenance plant with no pest or disease problems.
It does go brown during low temperatures, but it comes back quickly once temperature increases. It brightens shady corners with beautiful fragrant blooms in the summer.

this plant grows beautifully in our area.....its worth the headache of it dying back each year because it brightens up a shady spot like no other plant i know of....but i've never seen it flower..not once. wish it did, as it is a gorgeous bloom.

I planted ginger three places in my flower bed. Everyone loves this plant: It's big and bright. However, is not evergreen, it turned a yucky brown after the first freeze. I cut all the dried leaves to a big brown mound, and am hoping that it will come back. It is early spring and nothing so far. Most all of the other perennials in my garden have started to sprout, but nothing from the ginger--heartbreaking, but hopefull.

Yes, you certainly need to keep this large plant in check, but I don't see how it could be reported under FLOWERS, that they are inconspicuous. They certainly are very attractive. People often stop to see the flowers.

If care is not taken, it becomes an invasive plant in our area.

We have some growing by the driveway entrance and my son has to hack it down several times a year or you would not even be able to see our newspaper delivery box!

All plants of the ginger family love our humidity. We live in a very rainy area.

Nice landscape plant for warmer areas of So Cal... seems to be pretty needy of water- not for xeriscape gardens. Plant always seems to look nicer in humid climates such as Florida. Relatively easy to grow- not too needy other that the water.