One of our favorite textural plants in the woodland garden is the amazing Alpinia japonica ‘Green Waves’. This ginger rarely flowers here, unless we have a particularly mild winter, but who cares when you have great foliage like this. The ruffled foliage of this form, from the late specialty nurseryman, Don Jacobs garden, is not typical of the cultivated forms of Japanese ginger.
We love to plant this near a path, where the strong, cardamom-scented foliage is released when the plant is brushed when walking nearby. In three years, Alpinia ‘Green Waves’ forms a 2′ tall x 6′ wide specimen. We recommend either morning sun or high, open shade for best results. Although Alpinia japonica is quite drought tolerant, best growth occurs in soils with average moisture. Alpinia ‘Green Waves’ is evergreen unless winter temperatures drop below 15 degrees F.
Generally deer resistant? (The deer ~2019 ate my zingiber, but haven’t touched it since)
We can’t say for sure, but as fragrant as the foliage, I can’t imagine deer being interested.