Shell ginger (Alpinia zerumbet) is one of the showy members of the Zingiberaceae, or ginger, family. Beautiful pink and yellow flower spikes are produced at the tips of the plant's stalks. The nonvariegated species can grow to 12 feet tall — double the height of the more commonly seen variegated cultivar. The ground leaves of this species are used in some regions of the tropics for their antihypertensive and antistress properties.