prune them, they grow back pretty quick with lots of sun and warm temps

Understand that this ginger flowers on second year growth so if you cut the stalks off, you will not see blooms this year. If the stalks are still producing new leaves, you could trim the ugly leaves off the stalk. This is the time of year here on the Gulf Coast when Alpinias start to produce flowers.

Steve

"they grow back pretty quick with lots of sun"

I thought this was a shade plant?

Thanks,
Carol

my mom has had a shell ginger for over 10years here in Houston, its been growing in full sun, i spreads fairly fast and needs to be cut back every few years. her's isnt variegated tho, so may be a difference.

some extra info

http://www.hawaiiantropicalplants.com/ginger.html

Alpinia zerumbet Common Name: Shell Ginger. The green leaved form is more robust and blooms readily. Blooms are more abundant in the summer and fall. Full sun to medium shade.

Alpinia zerumbet Variegata Yellow and green striped foliage. The variegated form is mostly grown for the ornamental foliage. The green leaved form is more robust and blooms readily. Full sun to medium shade.

went to my parents' house earlier this week. noticed their shell ginger had flowered. i asked my mom if it had been pruned or not. she said my dad cut them down during the winter, b/c of frost damage. a few months and they grew back and flowered. those are about 4' tall now, by mid summer they'll be about 7-8' tall.

my mom got a piece of root from a co worker almost 20 years ago, i remember planting it. about 7-8 years ago i dug out about half of the root system b/c it had spread too much in the flower bed.