Alpinia purpurata (Vieill.) K.Schum.

A ginger family herb. It is upright and keeps growing from year to year. The stems are leafy and cane like. It grows 1-5 m tall. It has spreading underground stems or rhizomes. These cause the plant to form thick clusters. The flower arrangement is at the top of the stems and is 25 cm long. The flowers have bright red bracts. The actual flowers are small and white on top of these bracts. The fruit are round capsules. These split open when the seeds are ripe.

It is a tropical plant. It is best with part shade and moist conditions. It cannot tolerate frost. It does well in rich, wet soils. It needs an acid soil with pH between 6.0-6.8. In Townsville Queens BG.

The leaves are used to flavour coconut oil.

Can be grown by divisions or seedlings.