PlantFiles: Red Ginger
Alpinia purpurata

Despite its reputation to grow only in tropical climes I have had this Alpinia purpurata come back for 4 years now after every winter in my zone 6b climate in southern PA. I grew it as a house plant from a cutting from Hawaii. One year I put it outside to get it to bloom. It never did and I left it to die over winter.I left it neglected on the very sunny southern exposure of my house. It still does not flower but It does make a large show of foliage by October before frost cuts it down.

Just thought I'd add that I took a trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica, and this plant was growing in the wilderness near some waterfalls (a sign had been posted that told the name of the plant). They ranged in color from red to pink.

Red Ginger pretty much takes care of itself. I don't do any maintenance other than pruning when it starts to take over everything. Every summer it flowers non stop with leaves that reach 8 feet tall. The flowers can be brought inside to make nice floral arrangements that last a long time.

I never cared much for "red ginger" but lots came with my house. I found that a few stalks made a great flower arrangement that is very long lasting and now like this ginger much more. Glad I kept it, very nice along my driveway. After it flowers it will start making a "baby" plant at the flower, and as the baby grows the stem will slowly drop to the ground and create a new plant.

It's from the South Pacific (I think the pinks may be a different species because "purpurata" is bright red bracts with inconspicuous white flowers.)

There are many varieties of the blooming gingers growing in Hawaii. This one seems to be one of the most prolific. The cone head's colors run from light pink-almost white to deep reds.

I got this one in a trade and I am so glad I did. It is very pretty blooming or not and grows so fast. In one season it has filled a bucket and is spilling over with new shoots. I will have to plant it in the ground theres no way I can keep up with it in a pot.

I will keep this one and take some with me when I move... :o)
Dee

You can't reliably grow Alpinias in most of the US because they need a year and a half frost free to flower, and only Hawaii and Puerto Rico, and perhaps very Southern Florida have those conditions. They will sometimes survive a frost, and come back, but why bother if you can't have the flowers, although I think they are really the most beautiful of all the gingers.

I see this plant everywhere here in Rio de Janeiro. According to the USDA, it's only cultivated in the USA in Hawaii and Puerto Rico, so I guess it needs a tropical climate, with warm temperatures and high humidity. It's also commonly planted in high moisture, in organic soils.

Most plants have red inflorescences, but one can also find colors varying from light pink to bright red, also with white flowers that can be very well pass unnoticed. New buds are produced on the inflorescence after the last flowers (the bracts stay colored for a long time, making it very apropriate for floral arranges), not to mention the constantly produced stalks from the rhizome.

Propagation can be made cutting the rhizome and planting it in moist, dark soil, giving it some shade