Common Name: Native Ginger

General Information

Native ginger is a herbaceous, perennial plant producing loose clumps of erect, unbranched stems up to 2 metres tall from a creeping rhizome[].
The fruits were a favourite food of the Australian Aborigines[]. The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild as a local source of food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Australasia - Papua New Guinea; Australia - Queensland and New South Wales.

Habitat

Coastal rainforest[]. Along the sides of streams in rainforests[]. Wetter rainforests or in damp gullies in Eucalyptus forests[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.50 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a semi-shady position[]. Grows best in a humus-rich soil[].
The fruit usually hangs on the plant for several months[].

Edible Uses

Rhizomes[]. Older portions are too fibrous to eat, but the tender young tips of the rhizomes have a distinct, ginger-like flavour[, ]. The flavour can vary widely from plant to plant with some plants having too strong a flavour for most palates[].

Fruit - raw[]. A scanty, but pleasantly acid pulp surrounds the seeds[, ]. The blue fruits are about 15mm in diameter[].

The broad leaves can be used for wrapping food for cooking[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The leafy stems can be interlaced to make temporary shelters[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe[]. Plants are easy to grow from seed, though somewhat prone to damping off[].
Division of the rhizome[].

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