The Life Cycle of Ginger Plants

Structure of ginger

• Ginger is a rhizome, which means that the main body grows horizontally underground. The rhizome sends out roots below ground and foliage above ground. Although usually referred to as a "ginger root," the rhizome is what we actually eat.

Life cycle

• Rhizomes are perennial growers. Dormant in the winter, they begin their life cycle in early spring. In late spring or early summer, the leaves send food to the rhizome to help it create the buds that grow into new, self-sustaining plants.

Rhizome reproduction

• Ginger reproduces asexually, meaning it does not use flowers, seeds or the pollination process to create new plants. Instead, a stem from the rhizome forms a bud that becomes a complete plant--in essence, a clone of the original plant.

Lack of flowers

• As an asexual plant, culinary ginger usually does not produce flowers. Ornamental varieties of ginger create lovely, dramatic blooms, but these varieties are not used in cooking.

Fall harvest, winter rest

• Ginger is usually harvested in fall. The above-ground foliage will die off, but the remaining rhizome will return to life in spring.