Gingers constitute a wide and diverse family within the Zingiberales. The are closely related to heliconias, costus and bananas. There are over 1200 species of gingers, over 1000 of them occurring in Tropical Asia. There are even a few native to Australia! Gingers are not only used ornamentally but also medicinally and as a food source.
As a rule they tend to be more cold hardy than heliconias and prefer partial shade. Like heliconias, they like rich well drained soil and are heavy feeders. Torch gingers are more tolerant of heavy clay than other gingers.