Alpinia zerumbet Plants GrowTropicals
Shell Ginger

Alpinia zerumbet

£18.99
Hard to kill
Pot size
14cm £18.99

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Complete the set up
Jungle Mix - Premium Houseplant Potting Mix
The perfect soil Jungle Mix - Premium Houseplant Potting Mix · 2.5L · £4.99
Description

Alpinia zerumbet, better known as shell ginger, is a true member of the ginger family with long, glossy, paddle shaped leaves held on upright, arching stems. This is the classic green leaf form, fuller and faster growing than its variegated cousin, and on mature plants the pearly pink buds that give it its name open into fragrant flowers.

Origins
Shell ginger grows wild from southern Japan and Taiwan through southern China to the Malay Peninsula, forming dense clumps along warm, humid forest edges. In Okinawa its aromatic leaves are traditionally used to wrap rice dumplings.

Care
Give shell ginger bright light with a little gentle sun and keep the compost evenly moist through the growing season. It appreciates the same conditions as other humidity loving houseplants, though it copes well with an average room, and it is one of the more forgiving tropical houseplants for a cooler spot, taking winter temperatures down to around 8C. Older stems may reward you with blooms worthy of our flowering houseplants.

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All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

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How to care for Shell Ginger

Set me near a bright window, out of direct sun and water me little and often so I stay evenly moist.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
Get to know me

About Shell Ginger

Alpinia zerumbet is an easy-care houseplant. It needs bright indirect light, watering often enough to keep the compost evenly moist, a little extra humidity and a minimum temperature of 8°C.

Good for

Living Room Kitchen

Care level

EasyChallenge

Easy care

Light

ShadeFull sun

Bright, indirect light

Give it as much bright light as you can. A spot near an east or west facing window is ideal, and it will happily take some gentle direct sun. In dim corners growth becomes sparse and leggy. Read moreShow less

Give it as much bright light as you can. A spot near an east or west facing window is ideal, and it will happily take some gentle direct sun. In dim corners growth becomes sparse and leggy.

Watering

Evenly moistDries out fully

Keep evenly moist

Keep the compost evenly moist through spring and summer, watering as soon as the surface starts to dry. Ease off in winter, letting the top few centimetres dry out between waterings, but never let the rootball dry through completely. Read moreShow less

Keep the compost evenly moist through spring and summer, watering as soon as the surface starts to dry. Ease off in winter, letting the top few centimetres dry out between waterings, but never let the rootball dry through completely.

Humidity

Average homeHigh humidity

Prefers a little extra humidity

Happiest in higher than average humidity, which helps keep the leaf tips from browning. Group it with other plants or stand the pot on a damp pebble tray in a dry room. Read moreShow less

Happiest in higher than average humidity, which helps keep the leaf tips from browning. Group it with other plants or stand the pot on a damp pebble tray in a dry room.

Temperature

Keep above 8°C · Tolerates a cool room

Comfortable in normal room temperatures of 18 to 24C. It tolerates cooler rooms down to around 8C in winter, though growth slows right down. Keep it away from frost and cold draughts. Read moreShow less

Comfortable in normal room temperatures of 18 to 24C. It tolerates cooler rooms down to around 8C in winter, though growth slows right down. Keep it away from frost and cold draughts.

Can it go outside?

Patio friendlySummer outdoors

Yes. This tropical thrives indoors year-round and can spend the warmer months outside on a sheltered patio. Bring it back in before the first frosts, and acclimatise it gradually when moving between indoors and out.

Feeding

Feed monthly with a balanced fertiliser from spring to autumn, and let it rest over winter.

Growth habit

Upright →Clumping →

Plant type

Foliage houseplant →

Also known as

Alpinia zerumbet

Genus

Alpinia →
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

How big does shell ginger grow indoors?

Indoors, Alpinia zerumbet usually reaches 1 to 1.5 metres over time, forming an upright clump of arching, glossy leaves. Planted out in frost free climates it can reach 3 metres, but pot size keeps it far more compact at home. Repot in spring if you want it to bulk up faster.

Will Alpinia zerumbet flower indoors?

It can, though it needs maturity and plenty of light. Flowers appear on stems that are at least a year old, so avoid cutting older canes back and give the plant your brightest spot. The pearly pink buds look like strings of seashells, which is where the common name comes from.

How is this different from the variegated shell ginger?

This is the natural green leaf form of Alpinia zerumbet. The variegated form carries bold yellow striping but tends to be a little slower. The green form generally grows faster and taller, with deep green leaves and the same fragrant, shell shaped flowers on mature plants.

Why are the leaf tips on my shell ginger turning brown?

Brown tips usually point to dry air or inconsistent watering. Raise the humidity by grouping plants together or using a pebble tray, and water as soon as the compost surface begins to dry during the growing season. Trim any brown tips with clean scissors, following the natural leaf shape.

Can shell ginger spend summer outdoors?

Yes. Once nights stay reliably above 10C it enjoys a bright, sheltered spot on a patio, and fresh air and rainwater often boost growth. Bring it back indoors in early autumn before temperatures fall, giving the leaves a quick check for pests first.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Why Grow Tropicals

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Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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£18.99