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Conservatory Greenhouse

Alpinia vittata (v)

variegated ginger

An upright, evergreen perennial with almost-stalkless, lance-shaped, mid-green leaves vividly-striped with white and cream. Hanging flowerheads appear in summer, consisting of pale green flowers surrounded by pink bracts

Synonyms

Alpinia albo-lineata
Alpinia tricolor (hort.) Sand.
see moreAlpinia sanderae

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Loam

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Partial shade

Aspect

West–facing or East–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

Botanical details

Family: Zingiberaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Columnar upright
Genus: Alpinia are evergreen, clump-forming perennials with ginger-scented rhizomes. Strong, slender, reed-like stems to 3m high support lance-shaped leaves and sprays of flowers with showy, colourful bracts
Name status: Correct
Plant range: SE Pacific islands

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow under heated glass in peat-free, loam-based compost with 25 percent added leaf mould and the same of composted bark. They require bright, filtered light and are more likely to thrive in a border than in a container that constricts growth

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in heat as soon as ripe, or divide in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Cut out flowered stems in spring

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free

Get involved

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