Care of the indoor plant Alpinia purpurata or Red ginger |
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The genus Alpinia, family Zingiberaceae, includes about 230 species of tropical plants native to Asia, Australia and the Pacific islands. Some species are: Alpinia purpurata, Alpinia zerumbet, Alpinia speciosa, Alpinia galanga, Alpinia officinarum. Common names: Red ginger, Ostrich plume, Pink cone ginger. This species is native to Malaysia. It is a tropical rhizomatous plant that reaches 1.5 meters (4.92 feet) in height. The large and long leaves are deep green. The showy inflorescences have small white flowers surrounded by attractive red bracts. It blooms in summer. Red ginger is used in large pots as indoor and greenhouse plants; in summer it can be taken outside. In tropical and subtropical regions it is used to form groups next to walls. Alpinia purpurata needs a semi-shade exposure, receiving 3 hours of sun in the early hours of the morning; the humidity must be medium-high. It does not resist the cold below 14 ºC (57.2 ºF). The soil can be a mixture, in equal parts, of normal garden soil, leaf mulch, and coarse siliceous sand. Water frequently with lime-free water so that the substrate never dries out completely. Place a plate with damp pebbles under the pot and spray the leaves frequently with lime-free water. Fertilize every 2 weeks in spring and summer with mineral fertilizer for indoor plants. Prune wilted inflorescences. Red ginger can be attacked by mites and mealybugs if it suffer from drought. It is sensitive to sudden changes in temperature. Ostrich plume is propagated by rhizome division in early spring. |
Images of the indoor plant Alpinia purpurata or Red ginger |
 Alpinia purpurata  Alpinia purpurata  Alpinia purpurata |