PUSHING THE BORDERS

I have the variegated shell ginger in my yard but had not encountered Alpinia japonica before (or maybe didn't notice it). Not sure it would like my arid yard as much as it likes this canyon surrounding a waterfall...

These guys seem to do best in at least partial shade with constant moisture, so in an exposed garden they probably would look a bit tattered. Still worth a try. The flower spikes are pretty close up, but from afar they get lost in the sauce. Nice orange berries in the fall too! Most sources list them as cold hardy to USDA cold hardiness zone 8.