Zingiber officinale

RHS Plant Profile
common ginger

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common ginger RHS

Other common names

Canton ginger, East Indian ginger, ginger, Jamaica ginger, red ginger, stem ginger, ginger root

Conservatory Greenhouse Herbaceous Perennial
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grows to 1m, with lance-shaped leaves to 20cm long, narrowed to a fine point. Flowers are borne in a dense, elliptic spike on a stalk about 25cm above the rhizome, the large oblong-ovate lips, purple with yellow spots and stripes, emerging from yellowish-green bracts

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or East–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H1A

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Zingiberaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Columnar upright
Genus
Zingiber are aromatic rhizomatous perennials with alternate, oblong leaves in two ranks, and cone-like inflorescences with overlapping, sometimes brightly coloured bracts, and 3-petalled flowers
Name Status
Correct
Plant Range
Tropical Asia

How to Grow

Cultivation

Plant in rich, well-drained, moisture-retentive soil in filtered sunlight and high humidity, either directly in the border of a heated greenhouse, or in a container indoors

Propagation

From pieces of plump, fresh rhizome with well-developed growth buds, planted in well-drained, moisture retentive compost, in temperatures of 25-28C

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Patio and container plants

Pruning

Cut back old stems as they die back in the autumn

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite under glass

Diseases

Generally disease-free