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A good purple flowered plant. I remember seeing it in the Bressingham catalogues of the 1980's and at the time
I assumed that the purple colour in the pictures had been 'enhanced' but in retrospect I think it was a fair
representation. I both bought and killed the plant back then, in the days when I still thought that gingers
were difficult to grow. The belief that a plant is difficult will always result in its rapid demise! Gary Dunlop says: "One form has been widely distributed under the wrong name of R. procera for the last quarter of a century. The name R. procera is not valid, and was originally applied to a large form of R. purpurea. This distinct, and apparently, sterile plant was introduced into cultivation under the wrong name, by the late Alan Bloom, circa 1980, of Blooms of Bressingham. It is almost certain that all plants in cultivation and commerce as R.procera are from this source... However, despite being similar in appearance above ground, the tubers of the Bressingham plant are cream coloured and blunt and the plant, though increasing vigorously, does not readily set seed, so it is possible that it is a hybrid. Other forms of R. auriculata in cultivation have long tapering tubers, which recurve outwards as they narrow gradually to a fine top and are reddish maroon externally." |
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| 17th May 2009 | ||
