Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Costus asplundii - first photo of flowers, 0 by gingersrus

gingersrus wrote:
I have seen this Costus growing in conservatories in Atlanta, the Smithsonian Institution, Fairchild Gardens, Tom Wood's greenhouse, at Enid's Natural Selections Exotics, John Banta's place, and in my own greenhouse, but I had never seen it in flower or even seen photos of it in flower. Last week Ray Baker and I were checking id's on his Costaceae at Lyon Arboretum in Hawaii, and look at what we found. He said in all the years it has been there at Lyon he had not seen it in flower. It is really spectacular, but a bit difficult to grow and evidently very shy to come to flower at least in cultivation. Fortunately it is a beatiful plant even without the flowers, but look at this!

Dave Skinner
More photos at http://www.gingersrus.com/DataSheet.php?PID=3595

Costus asplundii at Lyon Arboretum, Oahu, Hawaii