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I was cheerfully writing files for this site when I selected this picture and suddenly felt the weight of old age land on my shoulders
. Back in the day, I would have chased around the world for a source for this charming little Costus relative,
and now when I ask myself how it happens to be here. Well, I had space in the growing case and I was talking to someone who happened to have a spare rooted cutting.
Chasing round the world be damned, just plain lazy these days! Unfortunately it is one of those devilish tropical gingers that will make no concessions to those of us who are climatically challenged. It is no more. I have included below some pictures of the plant flowering at Kew. Missouri Botanical Garden's Plant Finder says: "Winter hardy to USDA Zones 10-11 where this tropical plant is best grown in organically rich, consistently moist, well-drained soils in part shade. Tolerates close to full shade. Intolerant of freezing temperatures. North of USDA Zone 10, it should be grown indoors (best in greenhouses) in large containers. Container plants should be moved inside in fall before temperatures dip below 50 degrees F. Tapeinochilos ananassae, known as pineapple ginger or Indonesian wax ginger, is native to tropical forests from Indonesia to northern Australia. It is a rhizomatous plant that typically grows to 6-8’ tall (sometimes more). It is noted for its waxy, pine cone-like, terminal, deep red inflorescences (to 8-12” tall) which have small yellow flowers emerging from within each bract. Each inflorescence appears on top of a thick, leafless, bamboo-like scape that rises up from the ground. Each inflorescence of this spiral ginger family member somewhat resembles an upside down pineapple, hence the common name of pineapple ginger. In tropical to semi-tropical areas, this plant blooms throughout the year. Green leaves wrap spirally around plant stems. Some authorities place this genus in Zingiberaceae (ginger family) rather than in Costaceae (spiral ginger family). Genus name comes from Greek and means low lip in reference to the flowers short labellum." |
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| 13th September 2009 | ||
