It is said that the buds open with a slightly explosive sound. The curl back to expose many long, pink stamens, joined at the base, giving the appearance of a bright pom-pom or shaving brush. It is native to Pacific Islands from the Moluccas to New Caledonia and Yap. Red ginger is a common ornamental in Hawai'i, where plants range from 4 to 10 feet in height. Leafy stems terminate in a flower spike at least a foot long, consisting of numerous large, open, bright red bracts, accompanied by a small, inch-long narrow white flower.
Shorter inflorescences stand upright, while longer ones droop towards the ground.
The entire inflorescence, rather than the individual flowers, is used in large cut flower arrangements. Red Ginger is not the edible ginger grown for spice, but its roots and stems are highly aromatic when cut. These are shrubs or trees with fragrant wood, small pale-green leaves, small dull red or greenish flowers, and small fruits. The inner bark is red. Santalum are natives from India eastward to Hawai'i.