About
Alpinia purpurata is a tender perennial that can reach heights of up to 4 meters. It features elongated, glossy green leaves that can grow as long as 80 centimeters. During the summer months, this plant produces elongated flower spikes that stand semi-upright, showcasing small white flowers encased in overlapping, vibrant red bracts.
About the genus
Alpinia consists of evergreen perennials that grow in clusters and have rhizomes that emit a ginger aroma. The plants feature robust, slender stems that can reach heights of up to 3 meters, bearing lanceolate leaves and clusters of flowers adorned with vibrant bracts.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Partial shade
- Soil type
- Loam
- Soil pH
- Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H1A
Plant details
- Plant type
- Conservatory Greenhouse
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 2.5-4 metres
- Spread
- 0.5-1 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Architectural, Sub-tropical
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow under glass with a minimum temperature of 16°C in winter, in peat-free, loam-based compost with added leaf mould and composted bark. Position in bright, filtered light, ideally in a border where growth will not be constricted. Water freely in the growing season and moderately in winter
- Pruning
- Cut out flowered stems in spring
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed sown at 20°C as soon as ripe, or by division in spring
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free