If you want a low-maintenance, tropical appearing, and extremely versatile plant for your Florida-Friendly Landscape and herb garden, is there anything better than ginger? This family of plants include everything from turmeric and edible ginger for your kitchen and bar to beautiful landscape plants with names like ‘peacock’, ‘dancing lady’, and even the unique “Shampoo Ginger”. Let’s take a quick look at ginger in your garden and in your glass.
Gingers in the Landscape
Gingers are one of the most varied and versatile landscape plants for your Florida landscape. Growing from an underground rhizome they are usually easily transplanted and shared and fill a need when you want a shade-tolerant plant that brings a bit of a tropical flair. Plant them in a protected, well-drained area of your garden with rich soil for best success.
There are also a variety of sizes ranging from the colorful peacock ginger that hugs the ground, to knee high curcumas with alien-like flowers, and 6′ tall varieties with gorgeous white or red blooms. One of my personal favorites is shampoo ginger which has red, cone-shaped flowers. These will secrete a soapy, spicy-scented liquid when squeezed. You can even use it as shampoo as the name implies. Plant them in a protected, well-drained area of your garden with rich soil for best success.
Overall, if you live in north Florida you will usually see some damage from the frost and freeze on these plants. Let them be and they will usually come back in the spring. For more information on ornamental gingers, see https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/ornamental-gingers/ .
Gingers in the Herb Garden
While some ornamental gingers may be “edible” by definition, they are usually more bitter than edible ginger. Edible ginger is also grown from a rhizome and you can even plant the ginger you buy from the grocery store. Just make sure it is firm and has many “eyes”, which are points of new growth. Wash it well before planting in the spring. Harvest in the summer by digging up plants and taking some tubers. The cool thing is you can then replant it and go again. Turmeric can also be grown in our gardens but it is usually a bit cold in north Florida to get harvestable cardamom. Cardamom is also much more water-needy.
Like ornamental gingers, plant them in well-drained, organic soils with partial shade. Gingers hate soggy roots. For more information on edible ginger, visit https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/ginger/ .
Ginger in your Glass
Ginger can be used in a variety of ways in mixology by adding is some spicy heat. The unique sharp flavor can be overpowering if too much is used but really adds complexity. Consider using it to flavor syrups, to infuse liquids, or as part of an herbal tea with dried roots. I often add some ginger to mulled cider around the holidays.
While it is honestly too much for me on it’s own, ginger beer is a great option for mocktails as it gives both carbonation and that herbal spice. Balance it out with citrus, sugar, fruit juices, and/or other spices like cinnamon. One recipe I personally like is to mix 1/2 ounce of lemon juice, 3 ounces of apple cider, and 2 ounces of ginger beer with around 1/2 ounce of simple syrup, cinnamon syrup, or honey. This is a mocktail that goes great in the Fall.
For a bit more information on Gingers, you can also view the video below recorded in November 2025:
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