Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is a herbaceous perennial which grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of leaves) about a meter tall bearing narrow leaf blades. The inflorescences bear pale yellow with purple flowers and arise directly from the rhizome on separate shoots. Ginger is in the family Zingiberaceae, to which also belong turmeric (Curcuma longa), cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), and galangal. Ginger originated in Island Southeast Asia and was likely domesticated first by the Austronesian peoples. It was transported with them throughout the Indo-Pacific during the Austronesian expansion (c. 5,000 BP), reaching as far as Hawaii. Ginger was also one of the first spices exported from Asia, arriving in Europe with the spice trade, and was used by ancient Greeks and Romans. The distantly related dicots in the genus Asarum are commonly called wild ginger because of their similar taste. Learn more about Ginger
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Ginger Species Videos
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Common Name | Scientific Name | Conservation Status |
Bird-of-paradise (4 videos) | Strelitzia reginae | Not Available |
Greater Bird-of-paradise (4 videos) | Paradisaea apoda | Least concern |
Indian Shot (2 videos) | Canna indica | Not Available |
King Of Saxony Bird-of-paradise (1 videos) | Pteridophora alberti | Least concern |
Lesser Bird-of-paradise (3 videos) | Paradisaea minor | Least concern |
Red Bird-of-paradise (12 videos) | Paradisaea rubra | Near threatened |
Red Ginger (27 videos) | Alpinia purpurata | Not Available |
Shellflower (1 videos) | Moluccella laevis | Not Available |
Yellow Ginger (4 videos) | Hedychium flavescens | Not Available |