Red, Pink Ginger: Here's What To Know About These Flowering Ginger Plants

Flowering Ginger Plants

Ginger plants are known for their large number of species which originate in tropical regions of Southern and Southeast Asia.

The number of ginger plants available to the collectors is staggering and there is a great variation among its species. These include Red Ginger, Pink Ginger, Torch Ginger, Beehive Ginger and more.

The leaves of this plant are usually lance-shaped or oblong, deep green, and glossy.

Flowers vary greatly from one genus to another and may be borne throughout the growing season in tropical climates.

Red Ginger 

A lush, colorful plant, Red Ginger, known as Alpinia Purpurata, is famous for its brilliant flower bracts and glossy dark-green foliage.

Once planted in the right soil with the correct light levels, it is a low-maintenance plant which requires little care.

If you want to grow your own, you’ll have good luck growing it as a potted plant indoors due to its extreme sensitivity to cold, harsh sunlight and dry conditions.

Growing Red Ginger Plant

The Red ginger plant is known to grow best in moist and fertile soil as with most types of ginger flowers.

The tropical plants blossom into their best coloring and flower formation when grown in bright sunlight.

Grow red ginger plants in a large pot with drainage holes filled with rich potting soil or choose a wind-sheltered garden bed with plenty of sunlight.

Indoors, place the plant pot near a south-facing window with some light midday shade.

Taking care of Red Ginger Plant

Although red ginger plants require little care once established in the right growing conditions, they are more likely to bloom if given regular attention.

For dry climates where summer rainfalls are rare, it is recommended to provide at least 1 inch of water each week.

Feeding them monthly with balanced fertilizer will help support flower production in red ginger plants.

Be sure to use a liquid fertilizer diluted to half-strength to prevent root burn.

During winters, discontinue feeding them to let the plant rest.

Pink Ginger Plant

Known for its stunning pinkish-red flowers and broad green leaves, pink ginger (Alpinia purpurata) is a lovely, tall garden ornamental plant.

Being a sister plant of Red Ginger, it exhibits a cylindrical cone of long-lasting flower-power. This makes it quite the prize and is sought after in many floral arrangements.

This perennial plant is somewhat temperamental but well worth the effort for the spike of blooms it produces.

Uses:

Despite its name, pink ginger is grown for its ornamental uses, as a specimen plant or in masses at the edges of gardens or beds.

It has a tendency to grow outward and naturalize, making it a good border plant, and its height offers privacy.

Torch Ginger

Torch ginger is an enduring tropical plant with distinctive colorful blooms that grows quite large and spreads in clumps in the warm, humid climate that it prefers.

It’s very much possible to grow it as a houseplant, although it’s quite difficult to mimic torch ginger’s natural environment and the plant might not grow and flower to its fullest potential.

The showy flowers bloom seasonally on a bare flower stalk with a cone-shaped flower head surrounded by large, slightly drooping bracts (petal-like leaves).

Its flowers are quite popular in floral arrangements and in cooking for their sour-sweet flavor.

Torch ginger has a fairly quick growth rate and is best planted in the spring.

Growing Torch Ginger Plant

The best way to grow torch ginger is by emulating a tropical environment as closely as possible. This means plenty of water, heat and humidity.

If the plant starts to develop brown leaf margins, it’s mostly because it’s not getting enough water or humidity.

If the torch ginger won’t bloom despite healthy leaf growth, the issue most likely is a lack of light.

When planting your torch ginger, select a location that has protection from strong winds, which can damage its tall stems.

Taking care of Torch Ginger

Water young plants consistently, so the soil remains evenly moist. Mature plants will still require regular watering, as torch ginger has low drought tolerance.

Make sure to feed them regularly, especially if you have a nutrition deficient soil.

With proper growing conditions, torch ginger won’t be having any serious issues with pests or diseases.

Wax Ginger

Wax Ginger (tapeinochilos ananassae), is another tropical ginger plant which is shaped like an upside down pineapple or a ripening pine cone.

The bracts of this plant are stiff, pointy and bright red and grow basally while the leaf stalks will lengthen upward to around seven feet.

A preferred environment to grow wax ginger requires just a little shade and a moist but well drained soil.

Growing Wax Ginger 

Wax Ginger enjoys a well drained, general potting mix; it is best to avoid arid or wet, mucky soils.

To help establish your Wax Ginger plant, fertilize sparingly ten inches away from the base, tri-annually with a slow time released product. Unfertilized they will tend to grow at a slower pace.

This Ginger requires 80-90% sunlight and depending on your location, partial sun is often best. If you plant this Ginger in a brightly lit area you may experience leaf burn.

It’s best to acclimate this plant to its environment by keeping it outside and slowly moving it into a sunny area over a week or two to avoid stress before planting.

Taking Care of Wax Ginger 

These tropical plants are easy to grow and produce lightly scented, waxy, blooms. They will grow happily and flower in a pot or in-ground.

Your new plant can be stored for a while by simply placing it in a bucket with about a 1/2 inch of water in the bottom and moving it to a shady location, simply to keep moist.

This will give you plenty of time to select the ideal location for your new Ginger.

Sources:

https://www.thespruce.com/flowering-ginger-plants-1315760

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/care-red-nerve-plant-69687.html

https://www.thespruce.com/grow-torch-ginger-indoors-1902565

https://urbantropicals.com/product/lg-indonesian-wax-ginger-plant-tapeinochilos-ananassae/