Widely grown in tropical and subtropical regions, Alpinia purpurata is a 6.5 to 9.8 feet (2 to 3 m) tall perennial herb that thrives in the rich, moist soils of Martinique. Better known as red ginger in La Réunion or red lavender in the French West Indies, it is traded as a cut plant thanks to its remarkable bright red inflorescence. Erect at the end of the stem, its 1.18 to 1.57 inches (3 to 4 cm) cartilaginous bracts are particularly persistent.