Are you wondering about the different types of ginger that you will be able to find? Ginger is one of the most important plants in the world. People all across the earth have been using this plant for so many things. It is a kind of plant that people usually use in food, drinks, and even in medicine. A lot of people believe that this plant can bring a lot of health benefits upon consumption. And that is not wrong at all since ginger contains a lot of healthy components.
Most people recognize ginger as a spicy root. They often use gingers in food and hot beverages. They do this by slicing the ginger root and adding it to their tea. However, what you might not know is the fact that there are so many different kinds of ginger that you will be able to find out there. You will be able to find ginger roots that people use in food. You will also be able to find ginger flowering plants that people often use as ornamental plants. Pretty interesting, right?
Another interesting thing about ginger plants is the fact that ginger flowers have a variety of colors, sizes, and shapes. You will be able to find many different colors of ginger plants, such as red, yellow, white, pink, and even orange flowers. If you want to decorate your home, you might want to think about getting a flowering ginger plant. You can also find that flowering ginger plants have a variety of shapes. You will be able to find ginger plants that are shaped like shells, cones, or even small lily flowers that will look gorgeous as a decoration.
Different Types of Ginger Roots
If you are thinking about adding beautiful colors to your garden, then you might also want to think about finding ornamental ginger plants. What you might not know about them is the fact that some of these ginger varieties are even edible. You will be able to find several ginger plants that you can grow in your garden as well as indoors.
However, there are several things that you need to know about ornamental ginger plants before you plan on buying them. One of the most important things that you need to know is the fact that they are classified as sub-tropical plants. So, these plants will not be able to grow in certain climates.
Now that you know the basics about gingers, let’s talk about the many kinds of ginger that you will be able to find. There are ginger roots as well as flowering ginger plants. These plants can also be classified based on their color. So, here are some common kinds of ginger that you need to know about.
Ginger roots are the most familiar part of ginger plants. You will often see this type of ginger in culinary settings. A lot of people all over the world use ginger roots to add flavor and aroma to their food. You will also be able to use this kind of ginger in your tea or herbal drink.
What you might not know is the fact that most ginger plants are flowering plants. They usually have thin leaves and long stems. Some might even have large tropical-like leaves. However, edible ginger roots are usually harvested before the plants can produce flowers. These plants also have a variety of colors. That is why you can also classify them based on their color. Here are some of the most common ginger roots that you probably recognize.
Yellow Ginger Root
The first type of ginger root that you need to know about is the yellow ginger root. This is one of the most commonly used gingers in the United States. This ginger root is also known as turmeric. There are so many species of yellow ginger root. You will even find over one thousand species of this type of plant.
The yellow ginger root is a thick fibrous root. The roots of this plant clump together and grow in a lot of directions. You should know that the name “ginger” itself even means “horn-root” in Sanskrit. This is because of their unique physical appearance that makes it look like horns are coming out of the root. They also have a very strong aroma and a spicy taste.
This kind of ginger root is widely used because of several reasons. The yellow ginger root is very popular for its culinary and medicinal properties. You should know that this kind of ginger root has a great anti-inflammatory property. Because of this, they are very great for your brain and immune system. This is also the reason why they can help with a lot of conditions such as arthritis, stomach problems, skin conditions, stress, and even cancer.
That is why this is one of the most popular types of ginger.
Blue Hawaiian Ginger
Next, let’s talk about the Blue Hawaiian ginger. This type of ginger root is also an edible ginger root. You will be able to see that this ginger has a yellow core. It is also a very unique ginger root because of its distinctive taste. You will be able to see the blueish tinge in the rhizome of this ginger plant. That is why it is called the Blue Hawaiian ginger.
the immature state, the Blue Hawaiian ginger looks like any other type of ginger plant. However, as the roots mature, they will turn into more distinctive purple and blue hues. As these plants mature, you will also be able to see that the flavor and pungency increase.
The Blue Hawaiian ginger plant is very beautiful. These plants can grow up to three feet. These gingers also have shiny green leaves that make them look very gorgeous. If you are planning to plant this type of ginger, you need to remember that they cannot grow under direct sun. They will burn if that was the case. Other than that, you also need to fertilize them regularly so they will grow properly.
Baby Ginger
Baby ginger is the last type of ginger root that you need to know about. This type of ginger root comes in a variety of colors. These colors include green, pink, spring, stem, or new. As the name suggests, this ginger is a type of younger ginger root. It is like the younger version of common ginger roots that you will be able to find. This kind of ginger root also has quite a mild taste compared to other ginger roots.
There are several things that you need to know about this ginger root. First of all, the baby ginger root has thin skin. Other than that, they grow in quite large clusters. You will be able to snap off part of the ginger if you want to cook it. This edible ginger is not as fibrous as common ginger roots. This kind of ginger also tastes very mild and way less pungent. It is the freshest ginger that you can get in the market.
You can tell the freshness of a baby ginger root by looking at the stems and stalks. If they still have the stems and stalk attached, then it is safe to say that your baby ginger root is perfectly fresh. You can even use the stems and stalk to make fresh tea or to add flavor to many dishes such as rice dishes, pasta dishes, and soups. They are perfect for stir fry dishes.
Ornamental Ginger Plants
Other than ginger roots, you also need to know about the different types of ornamental ginger plants. There are so many types of ginger plants that can flower. Well, most ginger plants are flowering plants. However, there are so many types of ginger plants that you will be able to find. These plants usually grow in tropical and sub-tropical areas. That is why you need to consider the climate if you are planning to plant these ornamental plants in your garden.
How to Grow Ornamental Ginger Plants
Before we talk about all kinds of ornamental ginger plants, let’s talk about how to grow flowering ginger plants. That way, you will have everything prepared if you ever decide to grow these wonderful plants. What you need to know about flowering ginger plants is the fact that they need warm temperatures. Since they only grow in tropical and sub-tropical climates, you need to make sure that the warm temperature is constant. They also only grow well in humid conditions. With these conditions, they will be able to produce flowers without any problem at all.
The ideal temperature for this type of plant is around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. They need a lot of time to properly produce flowers. You need to keep the temperature at 0 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 months. After that, you need to keep the temperature over 70 degrees Fahrenheit for several more months. That way, these plants will be able to mature and produce flowers.
You also need to consider other factors when you are trying to grow ornamental ginger plants. If you want your ginger plants to flower, you might need to wait for a long time. Sometimes it takes around 3 years for an ornamental ginger plant to produce flowers. That is why you have to have patience when you are trying to plant these beautiful flowering plants.
Types of Ginger Plants – Ornamental
Now that you know how to plant ornamental ginger plants, you need to know the many different kinds of ornamental ginger plants. That way, you will be able to decide which type of ginger plant that you want to plant in your garden.
So, you might want to plant this type of plant. However, you live in a cool climate. Can you still grow flowering gingers or any type of ginger at all? Well, you do not have to wonder anymore. You can still plant gingers, even if you live in a cooler area. What you can do is to plant the roots in large containers. Make sure that you place them indoors when the temperature drops. This will prevent the roots from becoming dormant.
Here are the many types of ornamental ginger plants that you need to know about.
Red Ginger
The first type of ginger that we are going to talk about is the Red Ginger. This is a kind of ginger that is very flashy in color. Why? Well, simply because they produce vivid red or pink flowers. The flowers of this ornamental ginger plant are shaped like cones. You will also be able to see that the leaves of these plants are longer and wider than other species of ornamental ginger plants.
Red Ginger plants produce beautiful flowers. You will be able to see the red cone-like bracts as well as the white ginger flowers on top of them. You will be able to find Red Ginger plants in a lot of warm places. These places include South Florida, the Pacific Ocean, and the Caribbean. They also grow well in moist and humid conditions.
Beehive Ginger
The next type of ginger plant that you need to know about is the Beehive Ginger. This is another ornamental ginger plant that will produce a lot of gorgeous flowers. When the flowers of this plant finally bloom, you will be able to see the large bracts appearing from the stems. These bracts look like flowers, but they have modified leaves. These bracts form a colorful cluster. This is what makes them look like flowers.
With Beehive Ginger, the bracts will be of various shades of brown or red. The flowers of these plants also come in various colors such as yellow, pink, and gold. The shape of this type of ornamental ginger plant is unique. The unique shape makes them look like pine cones. That is why a lot of people call this plant the “pine cone ginger”.
If you plan on planting the Beehive Ginger, then you need to know several things. First of all, you need to know that this plant will easily grow outdoors. However, this only applies if you live in warm and humid climates. Other than that, this kind of plant also needs a lot of suns to be able to bloom. But do not grow them in direct sunlight since the sun can burn their leaves.
Indian Head Ginger
The Indian Head Ginger is the next ornamental ginger plant that we are going to talk about. This is the kind of plant that will produce red flowers. The leaves of this plant are very wide and long. When the flowers of this ginger plant bloom, you will be able to see the large bracts that are shaped like cones. These bracts appear from the fiery reddish stem that you will be able to find in this type of ginger plant.
Just like any other ornamental ginger plant, the Indian Head Ginger is also a tropical and sub-tropical plant. This plant will not be able to tolerate cool climates. It will also need a lot of sunlight and humid conditions to be able to produce flowers.
Torch Ginger
Another one of the many different types of ginger is the Torch Ginger. This is the kind of ginger plant that you want to grow if you want showy flowers in your garden. The flowers of this ginger plant are very large with red or pink petals. Once the flowers have bloomed, you will be able to see the tight cluster of red or pink petals that eventually form an egg shape in the middle part of the plant.
This plant looks very beautiful and eye-catching because of the unique shape of the flowers. From the egg shape in the middle to the beautiful petals that spread to form a star, the shape of this ornamental ginger plant is very unique.
One of the most important things that you need to know about the Torch Ginger is the fact that they are a true tropical ginger plant. You have to make sure that you grow these plants in warm and humid conditions.
Globba Ginger
The Globba Ginger is probably the most interesting ginger plant species that you will be able to find. Why? Well, simply because of the flowers of this plant form clusters of small flowers that hang from the bracts of the plant.
The flowers also come in a lot of different colors. The flowers are also shaped like a hook so that is pretty interesting.
The Globba Ginger is considered to be a very exotic tropical ginger plant. That is why you need warm and humid conditions if you want the flowers of this plant to bloom. The flowering period of this ornamental ginger plant can last to a month, which is an interesting fact to know. Once you have cut the flowers, they can stay fresh for 14 days. The flowers of this plant will look very lovely in your home. That is why it is one of the best types of ginger that you will be able to plant.