Hawaiian Tropical Plant Nursery, LLC


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Aframomum angustifolium- Common Name: African cardamom. Reported to be widely distributed in tropical forest in central Africa. Green stems reach 4 to 6 ft. tall and have larger leaves than A. mildbraedii. This species seems to put out runners which A. mildbraedii doesn't do. The basal Inflorescence is very short and close to the ground. Seed pods are bright red smooth and larger than A. mildbraedii. The seeds are a substitute for cardamom and the flavor is similar. Also used medicinally. Fruit pulp is reported to be edible. Good container plant. Outdoors in Zone 10 and higher.
Aframomum melegueta- Common Names: Grains of paradise, melegueta pepper. Reported to be widely distributed in tropical forest in central Africa. Green stems reach 4 to 6 ft. tall and have larger leaves than A. mildbraedii. The basal Inflorescence like most other Aframomum. Seed pods are bright red smooth and larger than A. mildbraedii. The seeds have a hot flavor and are used as a spice. Also used medicinally. Good container plant. Outdoors in Zone 10 and higher. New addition in 2018 plants should be available starting October/November.
Aframomum mildbraedii- Common Name: African cardamom. Stems reach 3 to 5 ft. tall and are dark red near the base. Forms tight clumps and does not put out runners. The basal Inflorescence is very short and close to the ground. Seed pods are a deep red and have grooves. The seeds are a substitute for cardamom and the flavor is similar but a little spicier with some camphor notes. Good container plant that blooms in a small pot. Outdoors in Zone 10 and higher. Unlikely to tolerate cold.
Aframomum sp.- Common Names: unknown. Unidentified species from Cameroon with sweet fruit. Seems to be easy to grow. As with most gingers we expect this to be a good container plant. Full sun to medium shade. Outdoors in Zone 10 or higher. Protect from cold.
Alpinia galanga-Common Name: galangal. Family: Zingiberaceae. Plants reach 3 to 5 ft. tall. Best in rich moist soil but will grow in lava rock and pumice. Grows quickly and forms large clumps. Full sun to medium shade. Roots are used in Thai cooking. Similar appearance to ginger root from Z. officianale. Pleasant ginger lemon flavor.
Alpinia mutica- Common Names: Flase Cardamom. Ornamental and medicinal species native to India and Southeast Asia. Plants reach about 5 to 6 ft. tall and grow in full sun to medium shade. Flowers in the summer. Flowers are sometimes followed by orange round seed pods. Easy to grow in Hawaii. Outdoors in Zone 10B. Cold hardiness not known. Identity has been verified by DNA sequencing of the ITS2 (Internal Transcribed Spacer).
Alpinia oxymitra- Ginger with edible fruits. Young shoots are also edible. White flowers are ornamental. Native to Malaysia and Thailand. Easy to grow in Hawaii but I don't expect much cold tolerance. Seeds are larger than most Alpinia seeds.
Alpinia purpurea- Zingiberaceae. Common name: red ginger. Stems 3 to 4 ft tall. Inflorescence is composed of deep red bracts. Full sun or light shade. Rich soil high in organic matter. Keep moist. In Hawai'i it blooms most of the year. Good cut flower.
Alpinia vittata- Syn.: Alpinia sanderae. Plants reach about 5 ft. tall. Striking green and white variegated leaves. Small inflorescence with pink bracts are seen at the tips of the stems in the summer. This plant is primarily grown for its foliage. Easy to grow. Looks best with light shade. This species never goes completely dormant and does not die back in the winter. Native to New Guinea. Good in containers. Outdoors in Zone 10 or higher. can tolerate.
Alpinia zerumbet Common Name: Shell Ginger. The green leaved form is more robust and blooms readily. Blooms are more abundant in the summer and fall. Full sun to medium shade. Tolerates a wide range of soil. Requires little care. conditions. Fertilize several times per year for more rapid growth.
Alpinia zerumbet Variegata Yellow and green striped foliage. The variegated form is mostly grown for the ornamental foliage. The green leaved form is more robust and blooms readily. Full sun to medium shade. Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions. Fertilize several times per year for more rapid growth.
Amomum compactum- See Amomum verum. My seedlings were identified as Amomum verum (A. krervanh) by DNA sequencing of the ITS2 (internal transcribed spacer in rRNA genes).
Amomum krervanh- See Amomum verum below.
Amomum subulatum- Common Name: Black cardamom. Pods are used as spice in Nepal and northern India. Basal Inflorescence; blooms are just above the soil surface. Pods ripen to dark brown. Plants reach about 5 ft. tall. Medium shade to full sun. Outdoors in Zone 9B and higher. Seems to be easy to grow in Hawai'i.
Amomum verum- Common Names: krawan, Siam cardamom. This species may be reclassified as Wurfbainia vera. Other synonyms: Amomum krevanh, Amomum testaceum. Seeds are similar in flavor to cardamom. Important spice and medicinal plant in Southeast Asia. Plants grow quickly and form compact clumps. I verified the identity of plants grown from seed via DNA sequencing; ITS2 was sequenced and a BLAST search of Genbank resulted in the best match (100% identity) with Amomum krervanh. The genus Amomum has undergone a recent revision; reference Taxon 67(1): 6-36. Recircumscribing Amomum as a monophyletic genus. Outdoors in Zone 10B; cold tolerance unknown. New addition 2018.
Bosenbergia pandurata-Common Name: Chinese Keys. Small ginger growing about 2 ft. tall. Full sun or light shade. Best growth is in rich soil with lots of organic matter. Goes dormant in the winter and stems die off. Reduce water and fertilizer until growth resumes in the spring. Roots are used to flavor soup in southeast Asia. Also, used medicinally.
Burbidgea schizocheila Common Name: Golden Brush ginger. Nice compact plants that bloom most of the year in containers. Reaches 2 to 2.5 ft. tall. Heads of gold blooms. Easy to grow. Fertilize lightly several times per year.
Costus guanaiensis-Costaceae. Common name: can agria. Spiral ginger grown for juice and edible flowers. Fuzzy large leaves. Thick stems. Salmon colored flowers emerge from green bracts. The flowers and juice squeezed from the stems are tart in flavor. Seems to prefer some shade. Rich soil high in organic matter is best.
Costus speciosus-Costaceae. Large spiral ginger with showy flowers. Fast growning in warm humid areas. Good in the greenhouse or sunroom. Medium shade to full sun. Rich soil high in organic matter. Keep moist. Seeds germinate in about 4 weeks at 85F (30C). Can be invasive in rain forest areas of Hawaii.
Costus stenophyllus Slender stems with a bamboo like appearance. Basal inflorescence is nice red color. Long lasting. makes a good cut flower. Culture is easy. Full sun to medium shade.
Curcuma longa- Syn.Curcuma domestica. Common Name: Tumeric. Stems reach 3 to 5 ft. tall. Rich soil and light to medium shade. Dormant in the winter. Stems die back to soil surface. Reduce watering and fertilizer from December until April. Orange roots are dried and ground to powder. Important spice used for numerous dishes in India and Asia. It has medicinal uses and is high in antioxidants.
Elettaria cardamomum- Common Name: cardamom. Green seed pods provide the popular and expensive spice. Tropical ginger native to south Asia. Stems reach 6 to 8 ft. tall. Best with some shade. Rich soil high in organic matter with good drainage.
Etlingera elatior- Zingiberaceae. Common name:Torch Ginger. Large tropical ginger with a bright pink, red or white inflorescence. Seedlings may be variable in color. Purchase plants propagated by division or tissue culture if you want to be sure the exact color. Grows well in lava rock with mulch. In rich soil plants will be huge. Not tolerant of freezing temperatures. Spectacular when in bloom.
Etlingera venusta- Similar to E. elatior but the blooms have a distinctive torchiere shape. Nice cut flower that blooms prolifically during the spring and summer. Full sun to medium shade. Plants will be ready to ship in the early spring. Check our online store for availability: http://www.store.hawaiiantropicalplants.com
Renealmia cernua- Common Name: unknown. Red and yellow Inflorescence which makes a good cut flower. Blooms well in a pot; best in at least a 12 inch pot. Inflorescence will last for 2 or 3 months on the plant. Blooms periodically throughout the year in Hawaii. Leaves are deep green and have an unusual fragrance when crushed.. Light to medium shade but will tolerate full sun in protect areas. Native to tropical low elevation rain forest in South America. Outdoors in Zones 10B to 11. Not likely to tolerate cool temperatures.
Tapeinochilus annanassae- Costaceae. Common names: Indonesian wax ginger, pineapple ginger. Native to Indonesia and New Guinea. Flower arise on a stem from the ground. Red-orange bracts form a head about 6 TO 12 inches tall. Spectacular in bloom. Requires light to medium shade. Rich organic soil. Keep moist.
Zingiber collinsii- Common Name: unknown. Leaves are streaked with dark green and silvery green on and are dark purple underneath. Bright orange-red inflorescence emerges directly from the soil surface. Blooms well in a pot. Light to medium shade. Easy to grow. Goes dormant in the winter for about 2 to 3 months. Reduce watering after the foliage dies back in December. Resume watering in March or whenever the rhizome initiates growth in the spring.
Zingiber ottensii- Common Name: unknown. Similar in appearance to Z. zerumbet. The inflorescence is longer and narrower. It secretes a thick juice. I suspect that it could be used like shampoo ginger. Brief dormant period in the winter stems may die back to the ground usually in January and February; some years it doesn't seem to go completely dormant.
Zingiber zerumbet- Common Name: shampoo ginger, pinecone ginger. Basal red inflorescence in the late summer or fall. The juice from the inflorescence is used as a natural shampoo. Shoots and rhizome are edible. The rhizome is used to spice some curries in Indonesia. Dormant period during the winter; stems die back to the ground. In the spring new shoots quickly grow from the rhizomes.
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Hawaiian Tropical Plant Nursery, LLC
P.O. Box 1511
Kea'au, Hawaii 96749