Zingiber zerumbet (bitter ginger, "Hanashoga")

Japanese name: ハナショウガ （花生姜）
Scientific name: Zingiber zerumbet

[Overview]
A perennial 60–120 cm tall.
It has underground stems.
The leaves are simple and arranged alternately in two rows, oblong to lanceolate, 15–35 cm long and 5–8 cm wide, with hairs on the underside.
The leaf bases form sheaths that clasp and overlap around the stem, forming a pseudostem.
The flower stalk grows separately from the pseudostem and bears at its tip an oblong inflorescence 3–10 cm long.
The inflorescence is densely covered with bracts that are green at first and later turn red, and flowers bloom one after another from between them.
In each flower, one staminode develops into a petal-like structure and is conspicuous.
The corolla is white or pale yellow, and the staminode, which spreads like a lip, is white.
The fruit is an oblong capsule.

[Uses]
The rhizome is used as food, as a spice, and as medicine.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by underground stems.
It needs heat and humidity; if kept on the dry side in winter it tolerates temperatures down to 7–8°C, but if it is to be watered, a minimum temperature of 12–13°C is needed.
It prefers soil that is well drained yet retains water, moderately moist, and rich in humus.
From autumn to spring, place it in a sunny location, and in summer place it in partial shade.
From spring to autumn, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; in winter, keep it on the dry side, but do not let the underground stems dry out completely.
Apply a base fertilizer, and also place slow-release chemical fertilizer on the soil in summer to autumn.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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