Alpinia zerumbet (Shell Ginger)

Native to southern Japan and Taiwan, and from southern China and Bangladesh through mainland Southeast Asia to northern Peninsular Malaysia, this evergreen perennial herb forms upright clumps from creeping rhizomes and reaches about 10 feet tall. Its waxy, pink-tipped buds resemble seashells and open into fragrant white flowers with yellow lips marked in red. In Okinawa, Japan, the aromatic leaves are used to wrap traditional rice cakes. It has naturalized on several Hawaiian islands and forms invasive stands in Molokaʻi’s forest reserve, where control measures have been undertaken. New plants can be raised from seed or by dividing the rhizomes. Photographed in Cali, Colombia.