Renealmia alpinia is commonly known as mardi gras in Trinidad, where hunters administer it either orally or topically to their hunting dogs to treat a variety of conditions, from sprains to snakebite.

[7] In Mexico, wild R. alpinia populations have been found in the southern states of Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Veracruz.

It also grows on the Caribbean islands of Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts, Nevis, Trinidad, and Tobago.

In Central America, it grows in Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama.

In South America, it is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.