Scientific Name: Alpinia caerulea (Alpinia coerulea)

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  • Pronunciation:
    al-PEEN-ee-ah sir-RULE-ee-ah
  • Common Name:
    Native Ginger
  • Derivation:
    Alpinia: L. alpinus - alpine. (Prospero Alpini 1553-1617?) caerulea: dark blue (fruit)
  • Type:
    Herb
  • Family:
    ZINGIBERACEAE
  • Flowers:
    White, spring
  • Fruit:
    Blue ovoid capsue 15 cm long - remain on plant for months during autumn.
  • Vegetation Type:
    Wet Eucalypt Forest Sub-tropical Rainforest moist gullies and hillsides of Dry Rainforests
  • Species List:
    Community Gardens, Kennilworth Fig Tree Walk, Craft, Bush food, Biosphere Day Noosa Woods, NNP Palm Grove, Wooroi Day Use Area Tracks, Sunshine Beach Primary, Pacific Lutheran College, Wooroi Palm Grove, BSDoonan, Cooloothin Corner, Banana, Tewantin Forest Gyndier, Fraser Island, Johns, Janet, Upper Yandina Creek, Leslie Drive Roundabout NNP Tanglewood Kin Kin Scrub, Heritage Park, NC,
Cultural Notes

TAKE CARE! Some information about bush foods and medicines may be anecdotal. Correct identification and preparation is essential:

Bush food: Aboriginal people ate flesh surrounding seeds as well as root tips. They used leaves to wrap and tenderise meat for cooking. Young rhizomes may also be eaten, and taste faintly of ginger. Seed pulp edible Leaves used to roof shelters.

Identification Notes

Tuberous rhizomes Forming clumps||

Landscaping Notes

Noosa Council Preferred Species list . Shade-loving. Likes moist, well-drained soils. Hardy species, prefers shade but tolerates sun. Seeds planted fresh will germinate in two months, or divide rhizome to make new plants. ||Indoor, pot plant potential.||Propagation by seed or division.||Feature foliage||Successfully propagated by Coolum Community Native Nursery.|Successfully propagated by Tin Can Bay City Farm Nursery.|Successfully propagated by Florabunda Bushcare nursery Woombye|Successfully propagated by Noosa & District Landcare|Successfully propagated by Mooloolah Native Nursery||Successfully propagated by Barung Landcare||