False Cardamom

False Cardamom (Alpinia nutans) is the ginger to plant where you want lush tropical foliage at a manageable size. It forms clumps around 1.5m tall and 1m wide, and every leaf releases a genuine cardamom scent when brushed or crushed. Nodding white and pink flowers appear in the warm months, and it is not toxic to cats or dogs.

Why you'll love it

• The foliage smells of cardamom. Brush past it and the scent lifts, which is why it earns a spot beside a path or a doorway.
• Tropical look at a usable size. At 1.5m by 1m it gives the broad leafed effect of a ginger without the sprawl of the bigger species.
• It handles damp ground. Wet feet tolerant, so it suits low spots, pond edges and the shaded side of a house.
• Pet friendly. Not toxic to cats or dogs.
• Very little upkeep. Cut out spent canes once a year and it manages the rest.

Where it works best

Mass planting. Plant 80cm apart in drifts to build a lush understorey under palms or larger trees. At that spacing the clumps merge into a continuous layer within two seasons.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A pot 400mm or wider suits a single clump for years, and the scent works best where you pass close to it.

Borders and edging. Set 80cm apart along a shaded path for a soft green edge that stays under head height.

Growing False Cardamom in Australia

Position and climate. Part shade is ideal, and it takes full sun in the tropics if the soil stays moist. This is a plant for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens only. It is frost tender, so cool temperate and southern gardens need a pot that can move under cover or a warm protected courtyard.

Soil. Rich, moisture retentive soil with plenty of organic matter. Unlike most plants it accepts heavy, damp ground, though it still grows better where compost has been worked in. Mulch 75mm deep to hold moisture.

Water and feed. Keep it moist through the warm months, and water more in pots because clumping gingers dry out quickly. Feed a complete slow release fertiliser in early spring and again in mid summer.

Pruning. Cut old or tired canes to ground level in early spring. The clump regenerates from the base, so removing a third of the oldest canes each year keeps the foliage fresh.

What to expect when it arrives

Five sizes are grown: tube stock, 140mm in packs of ten, 200mm in packs of six, 250mm in packs of three, and single 300mm plants. Tube and 140mm plants are young divisions with only a few canes, and they are the economical way to plant a large drift. The 250mm and 300mm plants arrive as established clumps.

Gingers travel well because the foliage is thick, though a few outer leaves may brown at the edges in transit. That is normal and grows out. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect new canes within six to eight weeks in warm weather, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to design a tropical garden that stays lush
• Browse the wider tropical plant range
• See other fragrant plants for paths and doorways
• Compare more plants safe for cats and dogs

Common questions

Can I actually cook with it?

The scent is close to true cardamom, but this is an ornamental species and not the culinary spice, which comes from Elettaria cardamomum. Grow it for the perfume and the foliage.

Will it survive a frost?

No. It is frost tender, and frost will burn the foliage badly. In cool temperate gardens grow it in a pot that can shift under cover, or choose a warm sheltered courtyard.

Does it spread and become a problem?

It spreads slowly by rhizome into a widening clump rather than running. Dividing it every three or four years keeps it where you want it.

How far apart for a mass planting?

Eighty centimetres apart. The clumps meet within two seasons, giving a continuous tropical layer without crowding.