Any Ginger Growers?

[metalfan]

I like gingers. They are easy here. They either go dormant in winter, or, if they freeze, they grow back as perennials. Some, I have to greenhouse. But most are out in the yard

[realarch]

 Hey Gina, gingers grow like weeds here, like insane. When we first moved here we planted all kinds of ginger and have since removed many of them. ( not an easy task) Nowadays when somebody offers us gingers, we run the other way. The only way to keep them under control is to plant in almost solid rock. 

Tim

[Silas_Sancona]

Had a few different types when i'd left FL but lost most of them within the first year here.. 

 Sad looking chunk of  Alpinia henryi " Pink Perfection " i managed to keep alive in a pot for a few years was planted as soon as i moved up the street. Has done fine in the shade bed against the east side of the house despite our heat / dry air and less than optimal amounts of water. Has started to increase in both size and space within the last year so fingers crossed it might decide to flower in a year or two. 

Considering how well it has done, contemplating adding a couple more of the shorter, " tough enough " Hedychiums  to fill in some holes in the same shade bed.

As much as i like them, taller " Kahili " -type Hedys. i grew up surrounded by back in CA would likely be too large for / overwhelm the space.  Shade area isn't quite large enough to experiment w/ what Heliconia  might actually grow here.
 

[metalfan]

They do spread LOL. I dig out Hedychiums and give them away when they outgrow the allowed space. But I do love my smaller species. This is one of my faves. It's hardy here, I don;t have to keep it in a pot, but I like to keep track of it because it goes completely dormant in winter. It's a fuzzy Costus, Costus subsessilis. It has a lemon yellow crepe flower When it pops up out of dormancy (2nd photo taken yesterday) it has a lovely spiral growth pattern. It loses that though.

[metalfan]

Alpinia zerumbet 'Yu Hwa' 

[metalfan]

Kaempferia Pink Lace, Cornukaempferia Jungle Gold

[Jack Lord]

I grow some here in Maryland. It was from my late uncle's garden in Myrtle Beach. I treat it like bananas- cut down after the first frost and cover with mulch. Last year it flowered.

[metalfan]

Costus barbatus, dwarf form; Curcuma elata; Zingiber spectabile ‘Early Gold’

[Dartolution]

Yes! Anything in the order Zingiberales is my jams! 

 

I grow the following here in Zone 8 in my tiny little landscape:

Alpinia zerumbet variegata 

Curcuma x "Sweet Memory"

Curcuma x "Banrai Red" 

Ctenanthe setosa "grey star" 

Hedychium x "Raffilii"

Hedychium x "Daniel Weeks"

Hedychium x "Elizabeth"

Hedychium x "unknown yellow" 

Maranta leuconeura

Stromanthe sanguinea "triostar" (trialing - year 2)

Zingiber zerumbet 

and if Canna's count - those too! (they count to me) 😊

I also have Burbidgea and Calathea in pots. 

 

[Keys6505]

I have gotten into Kaempferia in the past few years.  They are the last of all of my plants to wake up every year but haven't lost any (in ground) yet.  

"Mason"

Left was bought as Kornukaempferia "Jungle Gold" from a botanical garden.  The one on the right was just bought online as a "Jungle Silver" but I'm doubting the ID as they look the same to me.  The amount of silver on the leaves is supposed to be the differentiator. 

Rotunda

"Laos Silver Stripe"

"Silver Spot"

[metalfan]

Good to see that Jungle Gold. It's become uncommon. I love mine. These are fun ones....Kaempferia 'Raven'; 'Pink Lace'; K. 'I forgot the name'; K.  'got this from Tom Wood and forgot the name'; Mosaic; K. gilbertii 3D.

 

[Keys6505]

13 hours ago, metalfan said:

Good to see that Jungle Gold. It's become uncommon. I love mine. These are fun ones....Kaempferia 'Raven'; 'Pink Lace'; K. 'I forgot the name'; K.  'got this from Tom Wood and forgot the name'; Mosaic; K. gilbertii 3D.

 

Wow, those are all beautiful!  I am waiting to hear back from a grower regarding a few of these to see if they are available yet this year.  I got a Pink Lace last year online but it was a poor excuse for an established plant and died right away.  These are tough to come across even with internet scouring so when one pops up I'm forced to buy it.

[metalfan]

I have a lot of Kaempferias. This is Pink Lace today. It’s gaining ground fast.

i have the Laos Silver Stripe and Silver Spot as well. 
Years ago I had the giant form called Kaempferia grande but I lost it and have never been able to replace it

[Tomas]

Costus comosus in pot, in full ground it needs too much water I cannot give it.

 

Oh well, and never forget to repot it

[Silas_Sancona]

4 hours ago, Tomas said:

Costus comosus in pot, in full ground it needs too much water I cannot give it.

 

Oh well, and never forget to repot it

These take more abuse ( heat / drier at times soil ) than some people give them credit for.. 

Grandparents had a clump growing on the west side of their house w/ the " Kahili " type Hedychiums in full afternoon sun back in CA. Didn't water them as much as they'd have liked w/ the most water they'd get coming from winter rain runoff,  but the darn things got huge..  Think my grandpa finally got tired of them and that was why they " disappeared ", ...Most of them anyway.  Grandma sent pieces to one of her sisters that lived in San Jose at the time, lol.

Have seen them in a couple nurseries once or twice here in the desert too ..In shade of course. Not exactly a plant that would enjoy -any- sun kind of plant here.

[happypalms]

Zingiber edible ginger not a spectacular flower but one that is worth growing great for cooking with especially for curry dishes and soups also in a piece in a carrot celery and apple juice is the best so next time your looking for a deciduous plant go for this one in the cool climate with the added bonus of great health benefits.

[metalfan]

Hedychiums and Costs can take a lot of punishment. I have them growing in different situations on my property. Some grow actually in water in a bog out behind the house bordering the woods. Others grow up around the house where I never, ever water them. They don;t care. They are still 10 ft tall.

I have costs likewise in different places. Some are the lucky beneficiaries of hose water if they are growing near enough to other plants. But many are on their own.

We are in a heat wave here at the moment. It's been 96-98F here for several days now and we have more days to come, and not a drop of rain. Our rain chance does not materialize until I think Wednesday next week. These gingers simply do not care. They just keep on living and looking fine without the rain

[Tomas]

On 6/8/2024 at 1:16 PM, metalfan said:

Hedychiums and Costs can take a lot of punishment. I have them growing in different situations on my property. Some grow actually in water in a bog out behind the house bordering the woods. Others grow up around the house where I never, ever water them. They don;t care. They are still 10 ft tall.

I have costs likewise in different places. Some are the lucky beneficiaries of hose water if they are growing near enough to other plants. But many are on their own.

We are in a heat wave here at the moment. It's been 96-98F here for several days now and we have more days to come, and not a drop of rain. Our rain chance does not materialize until I think Wednesday next week. These gingers simply do not care. They just keep on living and looking fine without the rain

Well, our rain chance may not realize until end of August 😁

[Cindy Adair]

I too like gingers, but learned from others here in Puerto Rico that some species are super invasive. 

Many seem well behaved though and I see photos here showing plants I’d be happy to try growing!

One day…

Thanks to all for expanding my wish list.

[metalfan]

Cindy the usual remedy here for something that tried to take over is to dig it up and inflict it on another unsuspecting plant addict ha ha ha

[metalfan]

Siphonochilus is starting its bloom cycle

[Dartolution]

Where are you guys finding the Kaempferias at? These aren't cultivated or mass produced my growers in my area at least. 

 

On 6/12/2024 at 6:33 PM, Cindy Adair said:

I too like gingers, but learned from others here in Puerto Rico that some species are super invasive. 

Many seem well behaved though and I see photos here showing plants I’d be happy to try growing!

One day…

Thanks to all for expanding my wish list.

@Cindy Adair I have wondered this for a few years. There is a farm/grower in Rincon that grows a few gingers, heliconia, bromeliads. They have an etsy store I've purchased from multiple times (TropicalHeliconias). Might be worth a trip !:) 

[metalfan]

Dartolution, there are a few ones that are generally available in nurseries here where I live (Satin Cheeks, and the regular rotunda), The others, I've collected from other places....one of the old school ginger researchers lives around here and had a little nursery where he sold some gingers before he 'retired'. I got some of the more unusual ones I have from him. 

You can get the variety called Laos Silver Stripe online from some nurseries, its quite popular.

Pink Lace is a variety that was hybridized by Tom Wood (the old ginger guy I was referring to) that was one of the last plants he put into TC with Agristarts. I got mine from Brian Williams at Brian's Botanicals. 

Mostly, I have traded with other ginger collectors.

There are some new hybrids coming out of SE Asia right now on sites like eBay and ETSY, that are pretty great, but you'd have to mortgage your house to get them.

[Cindy Adair]

23 hours ago, Dartolution said:

Where are you guys finding the Kaempferias at? These aren't cultivated or mass produced my growers in my area at least. 

 

@Cindy Adair I have wondered this for a few years. There is a farm/grower in Rincon that grows a few gingers, heliconia, bromeliads. They have an etsy store I've purchased from multiple times (TropicalHeliconias). Might be worth a trip !:) 

I just looked them up and see they list a few heliconias I don’t have.
 

Rincon is about 40 minutes from me so I plan to reach out to the seller to see if they might allow me to visit and/or be interested in trading some plants. 
 

Thanks!

[Cindy Adair]

I just heard back from a collector in PR who said that the grower in Rincon won’t allow visitors. Oh well, at least if I mail order it should be quick!

[metalfan]

I hate it when a nursery will not let you come look around

[Dartolution]

3 hours ago, Cindy Adair said:

I just heard back from a collector in PR who said that the grower in Rincon won’t allow visitors. Oh well, at least if I mail order it should be quick!

@Cindy Adair Pretty sure they are a private farm from the images on the listings. The divisions I have gotten have been field grown and dug, treated, and shipped. I've not got a bad one yet. 

 

Cindy, have you started heli's from rhizome division, or are the ones you have from potted plants? 
 

[Cindy Adair]

6 hours ago, Dartolution said:

@Cindy Adair Pretty sure they are a private farm from the images on the listings. The divisions I have gotten have been field grown and dug, treated, and shipped. I've not got a bad one yet. 

 

Cindy, have you started heli's from rhizome division, or are the ones you have from potted plants? 
 

All of my many heliconias in the ground are from  divisions from friends or were already on my forever farm when I bought it.
 

I have a few in pots now that I started from seed. 

I have never actually purchased heliconias before. 

I am not a heliconia expert, but have some books and am learning and I enjoy being a member of the Heliconia Society International (HSI). 

My first farm in PR was from Sherry Ballester who sold seeds on eBay as Heliconia Lady.
 

She has since moved, but many of my divisions were originally from her collection. 

 

8 hours ago, metalfan said:

I hate it when a nursery will not let you come look around

Agreed. So close to me. 
 

[metalfan]

I used to get heliconias from Highland Heliconia in Costa Rica. They were a great place to buy from

[Dartolution]

5 hours ago, Cindy Adair said:

I have a few in pots now that I started from seed. 

 

@Cindy Adair What is your processes for seed starting?
Even here, my psittacorums have plenty of seeds from hummingbirds pollinating them, but I have never been successful getting any to germinate. 

[Cindy Adair]

I am not an expert but I was told to wait until the fruits are very blue.
 

Then to soak in water until the pulp is off and then plant like any other seed. 
 

Sometimes patience is required. 
 

[scottdurand]

I love this Ginger discussion.  

[metalfan]

What is that top one? Love it!

[metalfan]

Zingiber 'Twice as Nice'. One of only 2-3 ZIngibers that bloom both basally and terminally on the same plant

[miamicuse]

I got a mystery Costus, anyone have any idea?

flower below

 

[metalfan]

I'm bring up my old thread again because I need help.

Can anyone ID these Kaempferias?

[TropicsEnjoyer]

On 8/20/2024 at 8:25 AM, metalfan said:

Zingiber 'Twice as Nice'. One of only 2-3 ZIngibers that bloom both basally and terminally on the same plant

That’s fascinating. Also that brings me a question. Where do the basal ginger flowers come from ? Are they a separate stem or they just escape from the leaf stems? And do basal flowering ginger’s stop growing new foliage on old stems once they flower or do those stems grow indefinitely

[metalfan]

They are on separate stalks that arise from the rhizome. These are a form of the 'pinecone' ginger, ZIngiber zerumbet. They are 'one and done'. like most gingers. And they go dormant as a matter of course in teh late fall, so all growth ceases except subterranean rhizome growth

[metalfan]

Got another unusual one. Very glaucus leaves, faint pattern

[happypalms]

On 6/7/2025 at 4:39 AM, metalfan said:

I'm bring up my old thread again because I need help.

Can anyone ID these Kaempferias?

I just know them as peacock ginger.