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Zingiber zerumbet |
 |
| | The 'cone' gets longer as it matures |
| Common name |
red pinecone ginger; shampoo ginger |
| Family |
zingiberaceae |
| Life cycle |
perennial (Z8-10)  |
| Flowers |
yellow |
| Size |
4-7' |
| Light |
sun-part shade |
| Cultural notes |
moist organic soil |
Clumping rhizomatous plant native to Southeast Asia with upright-growing narrow deep green leaves. In summer, flower spikes emerge, topped by bract structures resembling pine cones. We planted ours in September, and saw only foliage the following year – finally, in July of its third year in our garden, it produced its interesting inflorescence. The cone starts out as a tight green egg-shaped structure, and soon starts producing solitary creamy-white flowers peeking out from alternating locations among its scales. Over the weeks, it elongates, and then starts turning progressively rosier in color. By this time, the cone is no longer tight: a light touch reveals that it's mostly hollow inside, and also releases an ooze of fragrant liquid.
|
| | Turning rosy-red by early September |
| 
| | A year after planting – lots of foliage, but no flowers yet |
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| | New growth, mid-April |
| 
| | Developing robustly by late May |
|
| | Pushing up new shoots, late March |
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In our garden, this plant grows in the following area: foundation border About my plant portraits
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