Alpinia, Shell Ginger, Variegated Shell Ginger 'Variegata'

We have had 6 shell ginger trees that have thrived and consistently bloomed in South Florida for 15 years. However, 2 trees recently sta...Read Morerted dying. When I cut/broke off the dead trunks, they were hollow and contained white bugs about 3/8' long. They look like slugs with legs. Does anyone know the best way to treat the trees to kill the bugs? Would spraying Malathion on the exterior of the trunks/branches somehow get inside to the bugs? Or is there something that I can pour on the ground that will be absorbed by the roots and kill them? Please help me! Thanks.

It froze to the ground here in Arlington, Texas.
Zone 8a : 10 to 15 (F)
--- (although this year, it got down to 5 deg...Read Morerees)
I thought it was dead after the winter of 2013-2014 with record-book freezing days. I kept a clear Rubbermaid box (upside down) over it all winter and on really cold days, I threw an extra blanket or two on it. It's April 8th and today I noticed the first trace of life! Two little leaf buds are starting to stick out from what I thought was the dead remains!

Does anyone have suggestions on using variegated shell ginger as a house plant. How long can you keep one before it get to large for the house?

Just a couple of notes to add: we have a large deer population, and they don't eat this plant. Also, I covered mine with sheets during ...Read Moreour rainy, cold winter (around 30 degrees at coldest point) and the prolonged cold/wetness turned the leaves and stems brown. The plant looked awful after a few days, so I cut most of the stalks back in the spring. It has filled back out well, but on one of the plants (the one with the least sun), the trimmed stalks never regrew, leaving a blank spot in the middle of the growth. Even so, this plant is a great option in central Texas for shady, deer-visited spots, and hasn't demanded a lot of water.

Mine was planted about three years ago. It's thrived as a foliage plant but I'd heard it's not supposed to bloom in areas where it has t...Read Moreo come back from the roots each spring. Guess what? Whoever led me to believe that is wrong. Every stalk is about to burst into bloom. I'm so excited.

Great for tropical effects. Does well with water in Southern California. A well-grown plant will double in size in two growing seasons....Read More Performs best when planted in full shade under tree canopy for both frost and sun protection. The non-variegated variety is a great substitute for Heliconia in the landscape. Almost no liter from this plant, making it great for poolside planting.

Alpinia zerumbet 'Variegata'

A nice foliage plant that grows moderately fast. I've grown this as a potted plant and in the...Read More ground. But, in my northerly climate, I'm lucky if the roots survive the winter. At my old house, I had it planted facing south at the base of a brick wall. With an ample mulch, this provided enought protection to ensure the roots did not freeze. Heavy mulching may afford protection in northern climates - don't count on it making it though! Leaves have a light ginger fragrance.

a beautiful foliage plant. tolerates the central florida heat well, provided you give it shade. i see so many gingers that have fallen vi...Read Morectim to the florida heat by poor landscaping placement. they fry in the full sun all day long, and end up bleaching, turning brown, and dying. =( i've had mine for a year and it hasn't flowered yet. a friend at the local nursery assured me that they do indeed flower in pots (all of my plants are in pots since i rent my house and want to take them with me when i move), they'll just flower when they're ready. i look forward to it; by the looks of the pictures, the blooms are very pretty!

This is a beautiful, perennial ginger grown here in central SC for it's foliage. I've found that they work better in my climate than host...Read Moreas, which tend to peter out by mid July due to intense heat. Shell ginger continues to grow until the first hard freeze. They preform better for me in filtered shade - full sun stresses them, making them look anemic. A great splash of tropical folige for zone 8 gardeners who want a tropical look.

My varigated ginger has been beautiful until this past summer when we had 65+ days above 100 degrees. It has been dying for several month...Read Mores 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 growi...Read Moreng 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 l...Read Moreevees 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 t...Read Morehere is a frost; it requires old growth.

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 ...Read Moreno 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...Read More 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 inconspi...Read Morecuous. 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 h...Read Moreas 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 l...Read Moreook nicer in humid climates such as Florida. Relatively easy to grow- not too needy other that the water.