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Ginger
Habit (mature) · Dguendel / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
Limited coverage
Ginger
Zingiber officinale
The true culinary ginger — a tropical-Asian herbaceous perennial grown for its aromatic, pungent, branched rhizome rather than its rarely-seen bloom. Reed-like pseudostems carry two-ranked lanceolate leaves to 2-4 feet, rising from a fleshy underground rhizome that is the kitchen and apothecary spice. Hardy outdoors only in USDA zones 9-12; in cooler regions it is grown as a warm-season annual or container plant and started from a fresh grocery-store rhizome each spring.
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: narrow (31/100)
Edible
Container
Light
Part shade
Water
Consistent moisture
Mature size
24-48" tall · 12" apart
Hardy in zones
9a-12b
frosty to frost-free winters
Summer heat range
Hot-Extreme
hot to extreme summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.
Native in Illinois
No
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox lists USDA hardiness zones 9a-12b, height 2-4 feet, width 2-3 feet, partial shade (2-6 hours direct sun), and moist-to-occasionally-wet soil; it tags the species heat-tolerant and frost-tender.
Climate notes
Cold hardiness
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Won't grow here
2050
Zone 7b
Plotwright
Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)
Won't grow here
In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.
Out of range today and still out of range in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Ginger (Zingiber officinale). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/ginger
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited18 source-backed.
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
Botanical research database
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY 4.0
Backs 1 field
Image
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
University extension service
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.
Plotwright
Climate-aware plant planning — every plant checked against your zone now and in 2050.
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