Zingiberaceae, Hardy

The JLBG collection includes about 8 genera, 10 species, 5 unknown; 43 clones

JLBG's hardy ginger collection includes the genera Alpinia, Amomum, Boesenbergia, Cautleya, Curcuma, Elettaria, and Zingiber, with a close cousin Costus included within this number. This does leave out our largest group, Hedychium, but it has its own gallery.

Alpinia is a genus of more than 245 species of mostly tropical gingers which grow from Southeast Asia to Northeastern Australia, of which we can successfully grow a couple of the hardier species. This genus is known for several culinary Galangal species, as well as a popular houseplant, Alpinia zerumbet.

Amomum is a genus of 111 species of ginger native to Southeast Asia to New Guinea and Northeastern Australia. This genus doesn't have many hardy members, like Alpinia, but we can grow Amomum subulatum, Black Cardamom here in North Carolina.

Boesenbergia is a genus of nearly 100 species native to the Indian subcontinent and much of the rest of Southeast Asia and the Philippines. Several species should be hardy here in NC for us, but the only species we currently have is Boesenbergia hamiltonii, a recently described species which we grew under the name B. longiflora.

Cautleya is a genus of 2 species native to the Himalayas to Myanmar and Vietnam.

Curcuma is a genus of 160 species native from Northeastern Australia north to Southeast Asia and West to India. This genus is best known as the plant that gives us the spice tumeric, which comes from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa, as well as being known as the Hidden-Cone gingers. We are able to grow a number of the hardier species here in North Carolina.

Elettaria is a genus of 2 species native to India, the best known and the hardiest is Elettaria cardamomum, Green or True Cardamom, which is hardy here in North Carolina.

Zingiber is a genus of more than 208 species native to South and East Asia, which seems to have more species described every year. The diversity is staggering! We grow a couple of species here in NC, namely Zingiber mioga, a species from China, Korea and Japan, and ZIngiber kawagoii, from Taiwan.

Costus is a much debated genus, currently treated as mainly African and South American, with the Asian material being separated out into the genera Hellenia and Parahellenia, the former was also described as Cheilocostus, which was deemed to be an invalid name by the ICBN. The plant we currently grow in the group is Costus speciosum (Hellenia speciosa), which is one of the hardier species. Other authorities prefer to use Chamaecostus speciosus, as Hellenia Willd. was subsumed into Alpinia, where Hellenia Retz. is what was used as the basis for the transfer to this genus.

Zingiberaceae, Hardy Gallery

Alpinia japonica 'Green Waves'

Alpinia pumila

Amomum subulatum

Boesenbergia hamiltonii

Costus speciosus 'Wizard of Oz'

Curcum 'Pink Wonder'

Curcuma elata

Curcuma longa

Curcuma longa 'Emperor'

Curcuma longa 'Snowdrift'

Curcuma 'Pink Wonder'

Curcuma 'White Wonder'

Zingiber kawagoii Ali Shan'

Zingiber mioga 'Cherry Lips'

Zingiber mioga 'Crug s Zing'

Zingiber mioga Crug's Zing flower

Zingiber mioga 'Dancing Crane'

Zingiber mioga 'Gold Drops'

Zingiber mioga 'Hot Lips'

Zingiber mioga 'Lushan Gold'

Zingiber mioga 'Silver Arrow'

Zingiber mioga 'White Feather'

Zingiber mioga 'Yunnan Fancy'

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Zingiberaceae, Hardy

Zingiberaceae, Hardy Gallery

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