Alpinia henryi Pink Perfection

Alpinia henryi 'Pink Perfection' (Alpinia henryi 'Pink Perfection') is the fastest way to put a lush tropical screen at fence height. It grows to about 1.8m tall and 1.2m wide, forming an upright clump of broad green foliage topped with soft pink flower cones through the warm months. It is a clumping ginger rather than a running one, so it thickens where you plant it instead of taking off across the bed.

Why you'll love it

• Screening in a season. Fast growing and upright, so a row planted in spring is doing real work by the following summer.
• Pink cones on green foliage. The flower heads sit above the leaves through the warm months and draw honeyeaters and other nectar birds.
• Handles the hard end of summer. Heat tolerant and humidity tolerant, which is exactly what a subtropical or tropical garden needs from a screen.
• Tolerates wet feet. It will grow in a damp, poorly drained corner where most screening shrubs sulk or rot.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 1m apart in a single row for a lush screen to about 1.8m. That spacing lets each clump widen into its neighbour within two seasons without the centre thinning out.

Mass planting and feature clumps. Grouped in threes or fives it reads as a single tropical mass, and one clump beside a pool or deck works as a soft green feature.

Pots and containers. A pot 500mm or wider holds one clump and limits the spread. Potted plants dry out fast in summer, so plan on frequent watering.

Growing Alpinia henryi in Australia

Position and climate. Partial shade or morning sun suits it best, and full shade slows it noticeably. This is a plant for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It is frost tender, so cool temperate, tableland and frosty inland gardens are not the place for it in open ground.

Soil. Rich, moisture holding soil with plenty of compost. It is one of the few screening plants comfortable in a damp spot, though it still grows faster where the soil drains.

Water and feed. Water regularly through spring and summer, especially in the first year. A balanced controlled release fertiliser in early spring and mid summer keeps the foliage broad and green.

Pruning. Cut spent canes to ground level after flowering and remove wind torn leaves. Every few years, lift and divide the outer rhizomes to keep the clump in its space.

What to expect when it arrives

This ginger is grown in one size, tube stock, and it moves onto backorder in busy periods. A tube is a young plant with one or two shoots and a small rhizome, and it travels well because there is little top growth to bruise.

Be realistic about the first season. A tube planted into warm, well prepared soil in spring usually reaches a metre by the end of summer, then thickens into a proper clump the following year. Growth is much slower if you plant heading into winter. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Designing a tropical garden that stays lush
• Compare screening plants from 1m to 2m
• Browse the tropical garden plant range
• More bird attracting plants for the garden

Common questions

How far apart do I plant it for a screen?

One metre apart in a single row. Closer planting does not close the screen faster and makes it harder to get water and fertiliser to each clump.

Will it take over the garden?

It is a clumping ginger, not a runner, but it does widen steadily by rhizome. Lift and divide the outer edges every few years, or plant it in a large pot if the bed is tight.

Can it handle frost?

No. It is frost tender and the foliage burns badly in a cold snap. In cooler southern gardens, keep it in a container in a sheltered, warm position and move it under cover for winter.