Gingers in tropical arrangements medicinal spices

Colorful, Exotic Gingers Bring Tropics to Every Arrangement: Medicine, Spices, and Beauty in the Zingiberaceae Family

Fiery flowers blossom on thick stems.  These exotic flowers look like torches, maracas, bee hives, tropical snow, lemon lights … other-worldly whose names match their beauty. Their spicy scent perfumes the room. The Zingiberacaea Family are exquisite tropical flowers used in ornamental decorations, gardens, for medicinal purposes, and commonly as spices in Asian foods (turmeric, ginger and cardamom). 

The Zingiberaceae are the healers of the plant world – bringing health through the spices we extract from them. Ginger is well-known for its anti-nausea effects. More studies have shown it can help with arthritis and joint pain, as it works as an anti-inflammatory. More recent studies have shown ginger to have anti-cancer benefits, in particular the battle of prostate cancer. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3426621/

One of our favorite plants is a member of the ginger family – the curcuma. (Many don’t realize that domestic curcuma is used to make turmeric and orange dye!)Turmeric is the symbol of protection and purity and its properties are used to treat everything from arthritis (it’s an anti-inflammatory) to rheumatism and coughs. Cardamom is used to improve digestion, gas, and stomach cramps.

White, violet, red, orange, or blush, the Zingiberaceae family comes in every color, shape and size. Zingiberaceae can grow big, but not as big as their cousins, the heliconia.  And because of the vast variety of this flower species (over 1300 species and 52 genera), their popularity has started to grow, not only in spices and to extract medicinal properties, but also in gardens and tropical flower arrangements.

Tropicals add fire, color, and a touch of the exotic to any arrangement. And because of how spectacular they are, they’re appropriate for any occasion. Dainty orchids are perfect to congratulate a new mom. 

Torches of gingers with colorful flowers are a perfect thank you. Bring Maui to your mom with a Mother’s Day arrangement. Exotic flower arrangements are unexpected and welcomed. Add the fact that an exotic flower arrangement doesn’t get lost in the room, blend in with the surroundings. In fact, a tropical arrangement becomes the center piece.

Many hotels and restaurants are opting for tropicals because of how memorable they are. They work in branding, so that guests and diners remember the feeling of the Caribbean, an island paradise, or the shock of colorful shapes and spires that welcome them when they walk into the lobby. A tropical arrangement, then, becomes an escape into something that’s not part of the mundane. It transports, inspires, and surprises.

The Zingiberaceae Family is an integral part of this new trend in tropical arrangements. Add the spicy scent of the flowers – the strongest of our senses – and these flowers have the capability of bringing the tropics wherever we are.