Alpinia caerulea – Native Ginger
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- Alpinia caerulea – red back native ginger
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- Alpinia caerulea – red-back native ginger
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- Alpinia caerulea – red-back native ginger
The native ginger is an edible perennial herb, and is a good bush tucker plant. It has broad sword shaped green leaves with attractive red leaf reverses. The fragrant white flowers are followed by blue berries. The new leaf shoots and berries have a mild ginger flavour and can be used in cooking, or eaten fresh from the plant. It forms a clump to 2 metres tall, and is hardy. Likes a lightly shaded to full shade spot, and can be used indoors. Likes water in dry spells. Grows from an underground rhizome, so the plant can be cut back hard if it looks untidy. Frost will damage the leaves, but it should reshoot once the danger of frost is over, though hard and prolonged frost could kill the rhizome.
| Family: | Zingiberaceae |
| Scientific Name: | Alpinia caerulea |
| Common Name: | Native Ginger |
| Plant Type: | Clumping perennial, Bulb or bulb-like |
| Height: | 2 ~ 2.5 metres |
| Width: | 1 ~ 2 metre |
| Flower Colour: | White |
| Flowering Time: | All year |
| Ph Level: | Acid, Neutral |
| Soil Type: | Loamy, Sandy loam, Clay loam, Potting mix |
| Plant Environment: | Low maintenance garden, Courtyard, Indoor, Poolside, Container growing |
| Climate Zone: | Sub-tropical, Warm temperate |
| Light: | Sunny, Light shade, Half shade, Heavy shade |
| Growth Habit: | Evergreen, Dense foliage |
| Lifespan: | Perennial |
| Soil Moisture: | Moist moderate drainage, Needs regular watering |
| Propagation Method: | Seed, Division |
| Frost Tolerance: | Not frost tolerant |
| Plant Usage: | Feature plant, Windbreak, Border plant, Attractive foliage |
| Special Features: | Edible, Cut flower, Decorative fruit, Erosion control, Pollution tolerant, Fast growing, Playground friendly |
| Attracts Wildlife: | Bees, Butterflies, Other insects |
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WHERE TO GET YOUR PLANT
Once you have found the plant that looks right for you, the next step is where to buy it.
Most nurseries stock a good range of plants, but due to space and supplies, they may not always have the plant that you are searching for in stock. If they don’t, they may be able to order it in for you if you request it.
Specialist nurseries are also able to give great advice, and if they don’t have the plant you have planned on, they can often suggest alternatives that will also work well for you.
Below is a list of our favourite specialist nurseries. Click on the links for their details-
The Wildflower Place Erina – NSW
Newcastle Wildflower Nursery – NSW
Harvest Seeds And Native Plant Nursery – Sydney – NSW
Native Grace Nursery – Robertson NSW
Wariapendi Nursery – Colo Vale NSW
Sydney Wildflower Nursery – NSW
Geelong Native Plants – Victoria
Wimmera Native Nursery – Victoria
Forest Heart eco-Nursery – Maleny Queensland
Natives R Us – Traveston – Queensland
Manuka Native Nursery – South Australia
MAIL ORDER NURSERIES –
Angus recommends Bush Tucker fertiliser for native plants.