01/08/2026
So many varieties
While many of us in Hawaiʻi are familiar with ʻAwapuhi (Zingiber zerumbet), there are over 215 known species in the genus Zingiber found throughout tropical Asia.
Many of these species have only been discovered in recent decades, and each year botanists continue to describe new ones from remote forests in places like Borneo, Thailand, Vietnam, and Myanmar.
Unfortunately, many of these wild gingers have incredibly small natural ranges, making them especially vulnerable to habitat loss. Every expedition into these forests not only helps us better understand their diversity but also highlights the importance of conserving these remarkable plants before they disappear.
