These are considered shade plants but mine don't bloom without at least a half a day of sun.
Keep in mind that this "screen" will die down to the ground after the first frost and not be tall again until the following summer.

That's a good point about the ginger dieing back in the winter. But if it's free... What the heck. I'd concerned about them getting too much sun and the condition of the soil. I would presume ginger would need some ideal soil in order to florish in the full sun.

One plant that would do the trick is canna. They are not finicky about soil, and the banana canna will grow to twelve feet tall making a nice privacy border.

Either way, I wish my neighbor had some free ginger for me!!

Happy gardening!

Just don't plant it too deep. Place it just barely under the soil, and plan on watering.

I live in San Antonio and regularly cover my Gingers, They do take alot of water, They should bloom on the second years growth, mine started on the third year, may have been due to the ice storm, My gingers are approx, 4 feet high and range in diamiter of 4 to 6 feet. They can take the heat and the leaves will curl to protect themselves, they like morning sun and afternoon shade to keep them at their best

Mine have done well in pots in full sun at my old house and morning sun here at the new one. The friend I got mine from has hers in full sun in regualar topsoil in front of her house and they get some wind protection from the house but the leaves will tear and shred in high wind out in the open. They do like water but are fairly hardy if its the hawaiian white (butterfly ginger like mine) They die back each winter and come back up in the spring just like my canna. The leaves will get a little yellow and scorched with no shade or protection at all. They smell like heaven too.

Just wanted to thank everyone that replied.

My friend dropped off the ginger yesterday and I'll start playing with it today. It's just a bunch of clumps of bulbs in about 4 or 5 Walmart bags. Crossing my fingers and toes that they will do the trick on that back fence line.

Shelia

If it is butterfly ginger,or hidden ginger, get ready to become a Ginger addict. If it is varigated shell, throw it out! YUCK! Every apartment complex in town has that.

Magnoliamommy, good luck with those ginger. Great time of year to plant them, temperatures coming up niceley. Shouldn't be long to see some good growth.

ANd I agree with yummykaz. If you have varigated shell ginger, especially in the San Antonio area, you should pull it out! Just drop me a note so that I may help you out and pick it up.

I just dropped $27 on three small plants yesterday. Eeek!

LOL. My brother took out variegated gingers from a neighbor and now there are several dozens of them that he propagated from those few gingers. Talk about money saver!

Substitute Alpinia Zerumbet Variegata (variegated shell ginger) with Alpinia Formosana (pinstripe ginger). Just as hardy and a lot better looking. It is pretty hard to find though. Well worth the effort.

Steve

What's wrong with the shell ginger? It looks pretty to me. Is it highly invasive or something?

Agree with Steve..I got some pinstripe ginger at the Houston bulb mart this year. It is very pretty and deep green, not lime green yellow. Here is my beef with varigated shell....it has been overused as a common landscaper plant. EVERY apartment building or office building has it. Then they don't cut it backin winter and it looks all dead.Feel the same about impatients, begonias, geraniums and vinca. I get so excited when I see something NEW. When you see a Dr. Moy ginger or Ann Bishop, or ANY of the Hydechium gingers you can see what I mean. The hidden gingers are little surprises. I have an alpinia that smells like allspice and corkscrew gingers. Love them all but the varigated is just icky to me. Sorry, but just one opinion.

Yummykaz,

I really like H. Dr. Moy also. Try H. Elizabeth. The Alpinia that smells like allspice is probably Nutans. It is an extremely shy bloomer. I've grown it for 4 years and never gotten a bloom. By corkscrew ginger, do you mean Costus, or spiral ginger. Those are nice as well, but are a little more cold sensitive than the Hedychiums or Curcumas.

Steve

She probably gave you alpinia zerumbut since she said it will make a windscreen. It gets HUGE. I don't think it goes dormant even in San Antonio. Blooms on old growth so you won't get blooms this year. Not edible, not poisonous but will leave a terrible aftertaste. Tolerates full sun, drought, etc. Hard to dig when established. The variegated tends to be a little shorter but will also grow in full sun.

The pinstripe ginger does need a little more shade or it burns. Not nearly as tall, blooms a nice bloom early/mid-spring.

Costus, curcuma, hedychiums all tend to be a little shorter & like a little more shade than alpinias.

I have about 50 gingers in the backyard. I love the peacocks and dancing girls. All dormant right now.
Most of the others, including Dr. Moy don't go dormant for me. I'm not big on watering either!
Tally HO!