Crepe Ginger Plant (Costus speciosus)

About the Crepe Ginger Plant (Costus speciosus)

Crepe ginger is a spiral ginger: its leafy stems twist upward in a graceful corkscrew, with soft, silky leaves arranged like a spiral staircase. At the top of each stem sits a red-brown, cone-like head from which large, pure white flowers emerge one or two at a time, their ruffled petals as delicate as crepe paper, with a yellow centre. It flowers over a long season through the warm, rainy months and attracts bees and hummingbirds. Easy, vigorous and happy in moist, partly shaded spots. Available as a rhizome, a potted young plant or a flowering-size clump.

How to Care for It

To plant a rhizome, lay it horizontally 3–5 cm deep in loose, compost-rich, well-drained soil with the buds facing up, water once and keep it barely moist until shoots appear; too much water before then can rot it. Grow in partial shade to morning sun with regular water. It may die back in the dry or cool season; reduce watering until new shoots return. Feed monthly while growing and mulch to keep the roots cool and moist.

Sculptural flowers, fragrant blooms and edible rhizomes. Our tropical gingers include beehive ginger (awapuhi) in golden, red, pink and chocolate, shampoo ginger, red and pink torch ginger, red ginger, shell and butterfly ginger, plus culinary ginger and turmeric. Sold as rhizomes, potted plants or flowering clumps.

Growing Profile

Botanical name

Hellenia speciosa (syn. Costus speciosus)

Family

Costaceae

Native to

South and Southeast Asia to New Guinea

Mature height

1.5–2.5 m

Plant spacing

1 m

Time to first flowers

1–1.5 years

Light

Sun to part shade

Water

High, keep moist

Cold tolerance

down to 2 °C

Best climates

Humid tropics, Dry tropics, Subtropical

Grows in a pot

Yes

Ships from

Our farms in Yucatán & Chiapas