Ginger - Zingiber - also Cautleya
tim@gingerwoodnursery.com (Thu, 01 Jul 2010 08:47:58 PDT)

Most Alpinia bloom on 16+ month old stems, with the exception of A. galanga.
Any of the hardy alpinia that get frozen back will not bloom that year.
A. galanga is the only species that I know of that blooms consistently
every year. We almost always have winter freezes here (zone 8). A few
very hardy species can normally make it through winter without being
forced dormant if there are only light freezes (A. pumila, A. japonica,
and A. formosana can take 28F or so and not show much damage. These often
bloom in zone 8).

Z. mioga is not that fond of our hot summers, so it is usually the first
to sprout here and first to bloom. Its also the first to go dormant,
usually by mid summer. My plants came from British Columbia of all
places, where they were a weed in my friend veggie garden. The variegated
forms don't seem to do well here at all. The variegated Z. zerumbet is
also a little picky here compared to the standard form that thrives. The
patterned Z. collinsii and the variegated Z. montanum do much better for
me.

Tim Chapman