Alpinia officinarum aka Chinese Ginger

Alpinia officinarum is also known as lesser galangal. It belongs to the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Kew gives its native range as southeast China to Vietnam. Useful Tropical Plants lists Myanmar as part of its range too. It grows in grasslands and thickets in warm, wet regions. Growers in tropical Asia raise it for spice and medicine. People have used it for more than a thousand years. It came to Europe from China around the ninth century.

This herb has soft stems and lives for many years. It forms clumps of leafy stems about 3.3–4.9 feet [1–1.5 metres] tall. A rhizome, or stem below ground, creeps outward and branches many times. Its hard, glossy skin ranges from dark brown to black. It measures about 0.026–0.039 feet [0.008–0.012 metres] across. These stems supply both spice and material for new plants. The sources give no flower colour or bloom season for this species.

Lesser galangal needs warmth, moist air, and soil that drains well. It prefers part shade and soil rich in humus. Its preferred soil pH falls between 4.5 and 5.5. It can cope with a wider range of pH 4–6. It grows best with daytime heat of 19–27°C. The cited range it can bear spans 15°C to 36°C. Keep it above 15°C to meet its stated growing needs. It favours 1,500–3,000 millimetres of rain each year. These needs suit a warm, moist growing space, not a dry site.

The rhizomes have a strong scent and a sharp, spicy taste. They taste of both ginger and pepper. Cooks use them to season vinegar and other foods. Their oil adds flavour to soft drinks, including ginger ale. People can eat the leaves and use the fruit in place of cardamom. Perfume makers use the rhizome oil for its warm spice scent. Its recorded uses thus span food, scent, and folk medicine.

Folk medicine uses the rhizome chiefly for problems with digestion. These uses do not prove it can treat illness without harm. Growers harvest it for medicine when plants are four to six years old. They use it fresh or dried. Useful Tropical Plants reports no known hazards for this species. This does not mean it is safe for every person or pet. Sow fresh seed in pots at about 20°C. To grow more plants another way, divide the rootstock as new growth starts.