False Cardamom herb plant, Alpinia Nutans, Shell Ginger, Dwarf Cardamon

The false cardamom plants still look a bit ragged from winter, but they will pick up as soon as they are planted in a shady, moist spot.

False cardamom is a great understory plant for your food forest, providing a lush tropical look. It is the cold-hardiest of the alpinia species, but probably frost sensitive.

The leaves smell spicy and are great in the kitchens or prepared as a tea. Herbalists use false cardamom for hypertension (high blood pressure) , as a diuretic, antifungal or antiulcer. The leaves taste nice in curries or stuffed into a chicken.

It likes shade, part-shade, but tolerates full-sun. Very hardy plant and copes well with our heavy clay soil. Prefers rich, moist soil and regular watering during the warmer months. It grows 1-1.5 meters high and wide. It can be grown in a pot -even indoors.

In a favourable position, the false cardamom bulks up considerably and can be used as a mulch plant.