
Zingiberaceae FAMILY
Alpinia purpurata
Alpinia purpurata
Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
HabitEvergreen Perennial
Growth—
Prefers a position in light shade[1]. Requires a moist, fertile soil[1, 2]. Widely cultivated as an ornamental, the plant has become naturalized in many areas[3]. It is considered to be invasive in many Pacific islands, including Fiji and Hawaii[4]. Plants can flower all year round[5].
Propagation
Seed - Division of the rhizome[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Alpinia+purpurata>
Pollinators
Bees, Butterflies, Birds
References
- [1]Desert Tropicals — http://www.desert-tropicals.com/ ↩︎The main focus of the site is succulent plants, but it also contains information on a wide range of other species. Usually at least one good photograph, plus basic information about the plant and its cultivation.
- [2]Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants - Identification and Cultivation of over 3,000 Tropical Plants — Ahmed Fayaz · Firefly Books Ltd.; New Zealand · 2011 · ISBN 978-1-55407-489 ↩︎A good photograph and terse but detailed information for over 3,000 species of tropical plants. An excellent reference.
- [3]National Tropical Botanical Garden — http://ntbg.org/plants/choose_a_plant.php ↩︎General information on almost 400 species, with descriptions, habitats and some uses.
- [4]Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk — http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html ↩︎A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
- [5]Dominica Botanic Gardens — http://www.da-academy.org/trees_shrubs.html ↩︎An on-line resource, providing top quality pictures and some basic information on various plants being grown at the Botanic Gardens, often including uses and habitat.
- [6]Philippine Medicinal Plants — http://www.stuartxchange.org/CompleteList.html ↩︎A lovely site, giving brief details on the medicinal uses of several hundred (over 400 at the last count) plants in the Philippines, plus a picture of each plant.
- [7]Medicinal Plants in the South Pacific — WHO Regional Publications, Manilla. · 1998 · ISBN 92-9061-118-9 ↩︎Excellent guide to 102 medicinal herbs of the Pacific Islands, with photographs of each plant and details of their constituents, biological activities and traditional uses. A description of each plant, together with habitat and distribution is given.