Hawaiian Ginger Plants

Only a fraction of all ginger plants are edible.fresh ginger image by Brett Mulcahy from Fotolia.com

The beautiful flowers of Hawaiian ginger plants often find their way into many perfumes and essential oils. Although most of these perennial herbs are valued for their heady fragrances and their beauty, at least one is considered a noxious weed. Flowers of ginger plants are widely used as cut flowers in the home, and florists incorporate them into floral arrangements. Not all ginger plants originated in Hawaii, but made their way to the islands hundreds of years ago.

Kahili Ginger

Kahili Ginger (Hedychium gardenerainum), also known as Kahili Fiesta, grows on the big island in Hawaii. Although this plant is beautiful and fragrant, its invasive nature presents a problem for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Kahili Ginger squeezes out the other native plants. The plant grows large heads of bright yellow flowers the size of a loaf of bread with a bright red stamen protruding from each flower. Each flower head grows at the end of a stalk and each plant grows 20 stalks. The plants reach 4 to 8 feet tall. Kahili means large bunch of feathers on top of a tall staff and traditionally it's used in the presence of royalty. Kahili Ginger blooms from August through fall. Cut flowers placed in a vase of water last several days. The plant arrived in Hawaii via the Himalayas, but nobody knows how or when. Those who see it growing are advised to kill it due its invasive growth.

Ornamental red and pink ginger (Alpinia purpurata), a South Pacific plant, arrived in Hawaii before 1930. Now naturalized, it grows best in rich wet soil but also grows in dry habitats. It's widely used as an ornamental plant in the home and sold commercially. The flower or bract grows on the end of cane-like stems at a height of 3 to 15 feet and 2 to 4 feet wide. The flower grows to 12 inches, and the leaves are broad and green. This plant prefers full sunlight, but can grow in part shade. The pink ginger is subject to sunburn, so it's best to grow them in partial shade. Keep the soil moist at all times and fertilize once a month with a high nitrogen fertilizer. Remove spent flowers.

Shell ginger (Alpinia zerumbet), a native of Southeast Asia, grows by rhizome, which a fleshy tubular underground organ. In the greenhouse climate, it reaches a height of 8 feet tall. The spring-blooming pink flower opens to reveal a red center and yellow border. The shape and colorful interior reminds one of the inside of an abalone shell. Shell ginger grows in Hawaii's USDA Plant Hardiness Zone of 10a through 11 with lowest temperatures of 30 and 35 degrees Fahrenheit.