Alpinia caerulea

(R. Br.) Benth.

Blue Ginger, Blue fruited ginger

Zingiberaceae Edible: Root, Fruit, Rhizome, Leaves 2,025 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Alpinia caerulea, commonly known as native ginger or Australian ginger, is an understorey perennial herb in the family Zingiberaceae which grows in rainforest, gallery forest and wet sclerophyll forest in eastern Australia.

Description

A ginger plant up to 2 m high. It spreads 1-1.5 m wide. It has several stems. These stems rise from the rhizome. The leaves are simple and up to 40 cm long. They are dark green. Sometimes the leaves can have a purple tinge underneath. The flowers occur in a spike at the tip of the stalk. The flowers are white and have a perfume. The fruit are about 10-18 mm across and occur in upright bunches on the tips of the leaves. They are blue. There are several seeds inside. The flesh around the seed is edible.

Edible Uses

For the Kuku Yalanji people of far northern Queensland, this plant had many uses – the fruit and rhizomes were eaten, the leaves were used to cover their shelters and to wrap meat when cooking in earth ovens. New shoots are also edible, and have a mild ginger flavour. The white flesh surrounding the seeds is crisp and acidic, and during long walks it was chewed by Indigenous Australians to activate the salivary glands and moisten the mouth, with the seeds usually being discarded.

Traditional Uses

The flesh of the fruit is eaten. The tips of the rhizome is edible. It has a ginger taste. These young rhizomes are eaten raw or cooked.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Distribution

A tropical plant. It grows in rainforest. It needs moist well drained soil. In Adelaide Botanical Gardens hot house. In the Cairns Botanical Gardens. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

Where It Grows

Australia*, Papua New Guinea, PNG,

Cultivation

Plants are grown by division of the rhizome. They can also be grown by seed. Fresh seed must be used. They should be soaked for 24 hours before sowing.

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.

Other Uses

The leafy stems can be interlaced to make temporary shelters.

Notes

There are about 200-230 Alpinia species. They are mostly tropical and subtropical.

Nutrition

Part	Moisture	kJ	kcal	Protein	Vit A	Vit C	Iron	Zinc
Fruit	64.9	1162	278	2.2	—	4	0.2	1.3
Rhizome	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

Synonyms

Hellenia caerulea R. Br.

References (26)

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Cooper W & Cooper W T, 1994, Fruits of the Rain Forest. RD Press p 30

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