The pictures on this page direct you to different gingers around Rio Dulce.

First understand that edible ginger represents only a few of the nearly 1,300 species of plants in the Zingiberacea family. Most of the ones you will see here do not fall into that category. There are eight common kinds of gingers available in the marketplace today. These include Alpinias, Costus, Curcumas, Globbas, Hedychiums, Kaempferias, Siphonochilus and Zingibers. The plants in these groups range in size from ground cover to several feet tall, require shade to full sun, include those with large attractive flowers or small, discreet blooms.

A little dietary info on ginger; Long used for its medicinal properties, ginger is also an effective diuretic (a substance that increases the elimination of urine). It improves gastric mobility (i.e. it pushes food and waste through the digestive system) and hinders the absorption of cholesterol. Although according to the Mayo Clinic, more study is needed, preliminary evidence suggests that this versatile spice helps to increase metabolism.

To navigate this site you simply click on a picture to take you to more information on that specific ginger or just a better photo if I don't have more info.

Cardemom Ginger

(Elettaria cardamomum)
Guatemala has become the world's largest producer and exporter of cardamom. Guatemala's cardamom production sets the prices in the global market. Guatemala is the world's biggest producer and exporter of cardamom. When the production of Cardamom decreases in Guatemala, the prices on the international markets go up.

Costus Ginger

(Cheilocostus)
Also known as Canhuate or Crepe Ginger grows in a spiral with leaves on the outside up to 6 feet tall in full sun producing terminal red cones with sporadic white crepe blooms. This is also used as a medicinal plant, see canahuate.

Pine Cone Ginger

(Zingiber zerumbet)
Pine cone ginger grows about 6 to 7 feet tall and have beautiful pine-cone like flowers. Imagine that!

Red Ginger

(Alpinia purpurata)
Red ginger has beautiful glossy green leaves and inflorescences with solid red bracts that are commonly used as cut flowers. The true flowers are small and white that protrude from the red bracts.

Shell Ginger

(Alpinia zerumbet)
It gets its common name from the blooms that resemble a strand of soft pink shells with a darker pink tip.

Torch Ginger

(Etilingera elatior)
The "Torch ginger" or "Wax flower" is believed native to Sulawesi and Jawa, Indonesia. The inflorescence rises from the rhizome to a height of 24 inches (60 meters). The individual flowers will appear from between the pinecone-like scales above the waxy bracts. The leaves grow in ranks from separate stalks along the rhisome. The leafy stalks are evergreen and get 15 to 20 feet tall (4.5 to 6 meters). In Indonesia the stems are chopped and added to laksa pots where various curries and soups are made with rice noodles.

Turmeric Ginger

(Curcuma longa)
It is native to tropical South Asia and I have no idea how it got here yet. Real nice plants that grow 3 to 4 feet tall.

White Butterfly Ginger

(Hedychium coronarium)
A beautiful scented flower that blooms from July to October.