Alpinia nutans is an excellent plant for a shaded, tropical-style garden area. Alpinia nutans is an excellent plant for a shaded, tropical-style garden area.
Alpinia nutans has white shell ginger flowers in larger clumps Alpinia nutans has white shell ginger flowers in larger clumps
The glossy, green foliage has a distinctive cardamon fragrance when rubbed or brushed The glossy, green foliage has a distinctive cardamon fragrance when rubbed or brushed
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Alpinia Nutans - Dwarf Cardomom

$25.00 AUD
GST included. Shipping calculated at checkout.
Pot Size: 200mm pot

Pickup available at Sunshine Coast Plants Depot

Usually ready in 5+ days

Alpinia nutans - Dwarf Cardamom

Alpinia nutans, commonly known as Dwarf Cardamom or Shell Ginger, is a tropical perennial with broad, glossy green leaves that release a spicy, cardamom-like fragrance when crushed. This hardy, attractive plant produces cascading clusters of pink and white shell-like flowers in spring, adding a delicate touch to its lush foliage. Reaching a height of 1–1.5 meters, Alpinia nutans is perfect for shaded garden beds, tropical borders, and containers, bringing an exotic flair to gardens and indoor spaces.


Dwarf Cardamom thrives in partial shade to full sun in warm, humid environments. It performs best in tropical and subtropical climates, though it can tolerate cooler conditions with some protection. Indoors, it grows well in bright, indirect light, making it suitable for indoor containers.


This moderate-growing Alpinia variety reaches a mature height of 1–1.5 meters with a similar spread. Its dense, clumping habit and lush, fragrant foliage make it an excellent choice for creating privacy screens, lush groundcover in shaded beds, or as a feature plant in tropical landscapes.


Alpinia nutans grows best in well-drained, fertile soil enriched with organic matter. Plant in spring or early summer, spacing plants about 1 meter apart to allow for natural spread. For indoor planting, use a high-quality potting mix and ensure the container has good drainage. Plant at soil level, water thoroughly, and apply a layer of mulch around the base to retain moisture.


Water consistently to maintain moist soil, particularly during warmer months. Dwarf Cardamom appreciates high humidity, so misting the leaves or placing a humidifier nearby is beneficial if grown indoors. Fertilise every 4–6 weeks during spring and summer with a balanced, slow-release fertiliser to encourage healthy growth and vibrant blooms. Remove any spent flowers or damaged leaves to keep the plant looking its best.

Product information

Christmas Order/Delivery Information
We will be closing from 5pm Friday the 20th of December and reopen at 9am Monday the 6th of January 2025. To receive delivery before we close, the deadline cut off for ordering is Sunday the 15th of December. All online orders received after this date will be dispatched upon our return.

Shipping & Delivery
Healthy, lush and affordable plants delivered directly from the nursery to your door or work site. Professionally grown and supplied with quality potting mixes and fertilisers and delivered by a specialised plant courier, we guarantee your plants will arrive looking their best. And if for any reason you are not entirely happy with the quality of your plants on arrival, we will take them back to the nursery and give you a full refund including freight charges. It's our Green Thumb Guarantee

Delivery Timing
Most deliveries are completed within 7 business days. In times of high demand, this may increase. We will endeavour to get your order to you as soon as possible.

Benefits Of Online Purchasing/ Shipping
Shopping for plants can be fun. Transporting them home can be hard work.  Plants are fragile so carrying them in the back of your car, ute or trailer can easily damage them. Having plants delivered to your door is convenient and easy. We use a dedicated expert plant courier to deliver your plants to your door, undamaged and as healthy as when they left the nursery. Our couriers are experienced in carrying plants and have been transporting plants from nursery to nursery for many years. We’ve teamed up with the best in the business to bring this convenient delivery service to your door.

Click & Collect 
We offer click and collect free of charge by appointment only at our Sunshine Coast Depot: Unit 12, 57 Owen Creek Road, Forest Glen, Qld, 4556. We will contact you to organise a suitable time to collect your order.

Shipping Cost by Region
Sunshine Coast Plants deliveries cover the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Ipswich, Gold Coast, and Northern NSW. We offer a flat rate delivery cost for up to one pallet of plants to the following areas determined by postcode. Any postcode not listed, orders requiring more than one pallet, or oversized items requires individual pricing and will be invoiced additionally at the rates below per pallet.  Please see images below for pallet quantities and if you have any queries about large orders please don't hesitate to contact us.  

Sunshine Coast Region Standard $45
4550 to 4564, 4572, 4573 and 4575.

Sunshine Coast Region Non-Standard $65
4518, 4519, 4550, 4552, 4568 and 4574.

Noosa Region $55
4562, 4563, 4565, 4566, 4567, 4568, 4569.

Brisbane Region $85
4000 to 4002, 4004 to 4007, 4009 to 4014, 4017 to 4022, 4029 to 4032, 4034 to 4037, 4051, 4053 to 4055, 4059 to 4061, 4064 to 4069, 4073 to 4075, 4101 to 4116, 4118 to 4123, 4127 to 4133, 4151 to 4161, 4163 to 4165, 4169 to 4174, 4178, 4179, 4205, 4500 to 4510 and 4516.

Bribie Island $125
4507, 4511

Gympie $125
4570, 4571

Ipswich and surrounds $105
4070, 4077, 4300, 4301, 4303, 4304, 4305, 4306

Gold Coast Region $125
4208 to 4221, 4223 to 4230

Northern New South Wales $145
2477 to 2480, 2481, 2483, 2485 to 2489

Toowoomba and surrounds $150
4311, 4341, 4343, 4350, 4352

How Our Shipping is Calculated?
Not sure how many plants to buy? Worried freight will be too much? No need to worry, we have a flat shipping rate (up to one pallet) for deliveries from the nursery to your home. Whether you purchase 1 plant, 2 plants or 10 plants the freight charge remains the same. This is because our expert plant courier charges by the pallet. The pictures below help illustrate this. The more plants you purchase the more economical the shipping becomes.  As a guide, a pallet generally holds the following quantities of plants. Please note the following quantities will vary when pot sizes are mixed. One pallet will generally hold;

61 x 200mm pots
or
41 x 250mm pots
or
25 x 300mm pots
or
13 x 400mm pots

We can also load it to hold a combination of the above.  Please note that large orders requiring additional pallets will be charged per pallet at the rates outlined above per pallet.   

Refund Policy 

Our Green Thumb Guarantee

We understand purchasing plants online is not for everyone. We also understand you may have noticed differences in the quality of plants offered from different retailers. We want to reassure you that our plants are amongst the best quality available. From the quality potting mixes and fertilisers to the specialised plant courier we use to deliver to your door.

If for any reason you are not entirely happy with the quality of your plants on arrival, we will take them back to the nursery and give you a full refund including shipping charges. 

This return policy applies within 1 day of delivery.  Please provide the delivery driver with your receipt and contact us on admin@sunshinecoastplants.com.au or 0493 100 518   

There are however a few situations where our Green Thumb Guarantee does not apply;

Variations in size from website photos - Occasionally due to seasonal variation and demand, some stock size differences will occur. We cannot refund your order if there is a discrepancy in size from online photos. Rest assure, we will not send any stock out unless it is close to the advertised size.

Not present at time of delivery – If you are not able to be home at the time of delivery, we are more than happy to leave your plants in a pre-advised safe spot. Our drivers care for our plants as much as we do and are well seasoned on where is a good spot to leave them. Unfortunately, we don’t have control over pets, weather or theft etc and therefore we cannot extent our Green Thumb Guarantee if you are not home at the time of delivery.

If in the unlikely situation you are not happy with the quality of your plants they will need to be reloaded back on the truck at the time of delivery. Any plants left behind once the driver has departed cannot be refunded.

We hope our Green Thumb Guarantee makes you feel more comfortable purchasing plants online. Thanks, from the Sunshine Coast Plants team, we hope you love your plants as much as we do.

If you have any question please email us at admin@sunshinecoastplants.com.au.

 

If you have any questions or need advice please visit the FAQ’s in our Help Centre or get in touch.  We’re happy to help you with your plant selection.