Pink Torch Ginger Plant (Etlingera elatior)

About the Pink Torch Ginger Plant (Etlingera elatior)

The pink torch ginger offers the same majestic architecture as the red form, with flower heads in luminous shades of pink, their waxy bracts often edged in white like the petals of a giant rose or lotus. Rising on tall stalks from the base of towering leafy canes, each head lasts for days on the plant and in a vase, making it a prized flower for events and luxury arrangements. It is a big plant for warm, humid gardens with space to spare. 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 5–10 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. Choose a sheltered spot in sun to partial shade with deep, rich soil and constant moisture. 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

Etlingera elatior (pink form)

Family

Zingiberaceae

Native to

Indonesia and Malaysia

Mature height

3–5 m

Plant spacing

2.5 m

Time to first flowers

2–3 years

Light

Sun to part shade

Water

High, keep moist

Cold tolerance

down to 7 °C

Best climates

Humid tropics

Grows in a pot

Best in the ground

Ships from

Our farms in Yucatán & Chiapas