Beehive Ginger Growing Guide: How to Grow and Care For Beehive Ginger

Beehive ginger, or Zingiber spectabile, is a variety of ginger that is native to southeast Asia. It belongs to the Zingiberaceae family, which also encompasses a number of other ginger types such as torch ginger, Thai ginger, and cardamom. Beehive ginger is usually grown as an ornamental plant in the west, though it can also be eaten like common ginger.

The beehive ginger plant forms colorful cone-shaped bracts resembling beehives in between long, upright green leaves. The young, green bracts “ripen” into other hues like yellow, pink, orange, brown, and finally red depending on the particular cultivar of the plant. Small white flowers bloom between the coils of the “pine cone” bract.

Though beehive ginger can be used in cooking, is often grown simply for ornamental purposes. It can be dried or cut fresh and added to flower arrangements as a dramatic accent. Beehive ginger’s leaves and rhizomes can flavor food similar to the way that common ginger does. The shoots and rhizomes can also be marinated or pickled and used in fresh salads.

Beehive ginger is native to hot, humid, and tropical climates, thriving in USDA hardiness zones 9 to 11. If you live in a cooler climate, you’ll need to container-grow your beehive ginger because it will not survive the winter frost. If you start your beehive ginger indoors, only bring it outside when your weather is hottest and most humid. Alternatively, you can also start the beehive ginger outside during the hotter months, then transport it into a container, greenhouse, or other indoor growing environments.

Depending on when you plant your beehive ginger, it will flower anywhere from the late spring and late fall. Beehive ginger rhizomes take up to 12 months to mature, so keep this in mind if you’re planting them inside or in your home garden. If you’re patient and keep your plant alive for multiple seasons, beehive ginger can grow over six feet tall. Here is an overview of how to grow and care for beehive ginger.

1. 1. Obtain your rhizomes. The easiest and most common way to plant beehive ginger is to use beehive ginger rhizomes, which you can find online or at a nursery.
2. 2. Prepare your planting spot. Beehive ginger loves well-draining, moist soil, and high humidity. Its leaves can be sensitive to full sun so you want to choose a planting spot that has partial shade. If you live in a warm climate near a body of water, the moist soil can provide the ideal environment for beehive ginger. Make sure your planting spot has plenty of space between plants as well, whether it’s in your outdoor garden or in a large container. The original rhizome may sprout new roots horizontally underground.
3. 3. Plant the rhizome horizontally. Like other underground rhizomes, beehive ginger rhizomes should also be planted horizontally underground, at least one to two inches beneath the surface of your soil.
4. 4. Keep your soil consistently moist. Beehive ginger needs consistent moisture to flourish. Use a spray bottle and mulch to keep your plants hydrated between waterings without overwatering the soil. This can make the plant vulnerable to root rot.
5. 5. Fertilize your beehive ginger. Beehive ginger enjoys neutral to slightly acidic soil. Fertilize your ginger plant with a low-nitrogen blend up to three times a year.
6. 6. Check for pests. Beehive ginger can occasionally fall victim to aphids and mealybugs. Use an organic insecticide to ward off these insects.
7. 7. Prune any dying leaves. Prune your beehive ginger periodically to make sure that your flourishing bracts are getting enough nutrients. Remove any leaves that have brown or yellow spots by pulling them off from the base. To remove a dying blossom, cut its stem near the base with a pair of sterilized shears.
8. 8. Divide your beehive ginger. When new plants start to grow, you can gently uproot a section of your beehive ginger rhizome and divide it for propagation. Simply expose part of the underground rhizome and snip it off. Then, replant it in another location.

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