Ginger and Heliconia plants

Variegated ginger - this species is valued for its variegated foliage, and beautiful flowers.

Chinese ginger, Fingerroot. Boesenbergia rotunda is a medicinal and culinary herb from China and Southeast Asia. It is widely used in Javanese cuisine in Indonesia. In Thai cooking it is called krachai. In the west it is usually found pickled or frozen. Kra Chai is used as an antiflatulent, expels air and nurtures strength. Used as a male tonic, vigor, health promotion, longevity, aphrodisiac.

A dwarf ginger that is hard to find, but well worth it. Intermittently throughout the year, bright golden-orange cones will appear above the glossy dark green, maroon-backed leaves. Individual flowers will open and last for a period of about two weeks during each bloom cycle. Has a very upright growth habit. An excellent indoor plant, it should be kept out of direct sunlight as this will scorch the leaves, and should be kept in a container even outdoors, as they are very cold-tender and must be brought inside in the fall. When repotting, take care that only the roots are burried in the soil or potting medium, as it is a bit of an epiphyte (air plant) and the rhyzome must remain above ground level.

Variegated Spiral Ginger. Originally from South America, this ginger is very popular in Hawaii and Florida. The actual name is C. arabicus variegata and it is labeled Costus amazonicus variegata almost everywhere. Spiraling stems rise with a strong white variegation and topped with elegant pure white flowers with yellow centers. Takes both sun and shade, moist soil and lots of water.
This is a spectacular addition to your shade garden!

Red Button Ginger, French Kiss. Spectacular red ginger, with bright red button-like flower cones almost year-round. The yellow flowers that emerge from the red cones are edible. The plant can withstand a light frost for short periods of time but will stop blooming.

The name refers to the colorful raspberry colored stem, but that's not the only colorful thing about this Spiraling Ginger. The leaves are dark green, long and glossy with velvety deep purple undersides. The inflorescence is a vivid red with tight bracts and bold yellow flowers. The butterflies love to drink the nectar from the flowers. This is a large vigorous ginger, growing up to 5-6 ft tall.

Spice Turmeric, Longevity Spice, Indian Saffron, Tumeric. Turmeric powder might well be the healthiest spice on Earth. Made by grinding the dried root of the Curcuma longa plant, this ancient superfood and key ingredient in curry powder has been used by Indian Ayurvedic healers for centuries. In recent years, also the scientific community has begun to show interest in the potential health benefits of the turmeric root. Turmeric can be consumed in its original powdered form through culinary additions to other foods.
This plant is deciduous through winter-spring.

Weeping Blue Ginger, Blue Pendant. Unusual zinger-looking perennial with dark green foliage with arching stems. Heads of dark electric-blue flowers top tall, jointed stems with glossy heavy leaves faintly banded silver and toned purplish-blue beneath. Rare color for tropics!

White Ginger, Butterfly Ginger Lily. This is the most fragrant of all gingers and one of the symbols of Hawaiian Paradise. In the summer it bears fragrant flowers that resemble butterflies. It is popular in Hawaii and the Pacific Islands were it is used in leis or singly worn in the hair or behind the ear. It also makes a good cut flower great for scenting the home. It is a tough plant, a light freeze may kill the tops, but it will come back in the Spring.

With its attractive long green leaves with a slight fuzziness, this ginger has open long spikes of pastel yellow flowers with a beautiful heady aroma. Similar in appearance to the White Butterfly ginger (H. coronarium). Exquisitely fragrant!

Heliconia latispatha grows up to 12 ft tall, with leaves resembling those of bananas. Inflorescence is erect, up to 2 ft long, with red or orange bracts subtending green, yellow or orange flowers. What is nice about this Heliconia is how the blooms appear at the very top of the stalk, shown off above all the leaves.

This small variety of Heliconia will add color to any landscape design. Topping off the green foliage are small orange and red blooms with a silver cast on the red outer bract.

Lobster Claw, Parrot's beak. One of the most recognized and widely grown species, and one of the most beautiful. The inflorescence it produces is one of the most colorful you will ever encounter. The flowers last a long time and make an excellent cut flower. It is an easy grower in tropical areas but some room is required because the stalks can reach 7 feet in height. It can withstand temperatures in the high 20s. Can be grown in large pots

Rare - Laos Silver Stripe is certainly one of the most beautiful of all the Kaempferia angustifolia cultivars. It is one of the large types and have boldly striped leaves of green and silver. The flowers are typical for the species, orchid shaped white and purple flowers that most often occur towards the beginning of the season. This hard to find variety is a must for any Peacock Ginger collector!
The Kaempferia angustifolia complex is full of many cultivars and wild forms that range from tiny green leaf plants, the size and shape of the leaves varies greatly between cultivars as well.

Monocostus uniflorus, Costus uniflorus. This is a soft and delicate small ginger growing with spiral stems and dark green, oval thick leaves which are about 2 inches to 2.5 inches long. Large, single lemon-yellow flowers emerge at the tip of stems of graceful texture spring from a spiraling cone. It will bloom almost all year and will make a beautiful free full blooming hanging basket.
See article about gingers by John Banta.

This rare specimen plant is from the collection of Mark Hooten. Species close related to Burbidgea.

Pine cone ginger, Shampoo Ginger. All parts of this ginger are spicy fragrant. The cone shaped flowers are long lasting and useful for cut flower arrangements. This plant is most widely known around the world as the Shampoo Ginger for the milky substance in the cones, and it is in fact used as a shampoo in Asia and Hawaii, and as an ingredient in several commercial shampoos.
Pinecone ginger is considered a canoe plant, that is, a plant introduced throughout the Pacific by the ancient Polynesian settlers.

Grains of Paradise, African Cardamom. Seeds of this rare Ginger are similar in flavor to cardamom and used as a pungent spice. This Ginger has many bioactives, great for digestive and intestinal health. The plant has many other medicinal values: anti-diabetic and anti-obese mechanisms, aphrodisiac and testosterone boosting properties. Aframomum melegueta may be promising for a spice to add to a diet in hopes of body recomposition. Studies show this spice increases sexual behavior.

Costus fissiligulatus is an amazing new Costus from Gabon in West Africa. It has a dazzling pink trumpet flower with a yellow throat. It is very floriferous with an inflorescence of numerous flower buds on a shortish plant of 3-4 ft that stands very erect. It is an easy grower with similar growing requirements to other gingers.

Red Siam Tulip, rare hybrid. This plant produces an excellent cut flower last up to about 14 days. If placed in a slightly shaded position, flower on the plant can remain for up to 3 months.

Dramatic blooms of new cultivar Katie have pure white tops over the blood red cones. Outstanding hybrid of Curcuma roscoeana. This plant produces an excellent cut flower last up to about 14 days. If placed in a slightly shaded position, flower on the plant can remain for up to 3 months.

Lady Di heliconia - the living tribute to Princess Diana. It's a vigorous plant and prolific warm-season bloomer. Grows 3-4 feet tall. grows in partial shade to full sun. Inflorescence has 5 to 8 dark red bracts. Good heliconia for pot culture. This is a very hardy plant, needing little attention once established.

Spice Ginger, Cooking Ginger - Plant this ginger in the garden to produce your own fresh ginger. This plant is deciduous, leaves die back in winter and grow back in spring.