A hardcore tropical perennial plant, the torch ginger is native to areas near home - Malaysia and Indonesia. Botanically it is known as Etlingera elatior, the torch ginger is a member of the true ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It has been formerly classified in various other true ginger genera including Alpinia, Phaeomoria and Nicolaia. The genus is named after the German botanist Andreas Ernst Etlinger while the specific name elatior, in Latin, has the meaning of “taller”.