I've been having this ginger for 3 years..this is the first time I've seen her bloom!
Zingiber zerumbet 'darcyi'
How pretty!!!!
and its variegated!!!!
how long have you had it?
ely
Oh, cool!! I have had one for three years and have yet to see it bloom. This is the first year I have had more than one stem. Must be all the rain we are getting.
Janet
ely, I've been having it for about 3 years.
Janet, I don't know about the rain part, believe it or not, we've been in a drought! When the pine cone first appeared last month, I wasn't quite sure what was going on with it. After looking over my ginger notes, I realized it was indeed a bud terminal.
Mine also had just one lonely stem for what seemed like forever, this year it produced another stem, then the pine cone..have faith!
Lisa,
Congratulations!! That is really cool. Someone told me that this particular variegated variety dies back too hard to produce pine cones. Thanks for proving them wrong!!
LOL!!!!
justmeLisa --
So glad you posted this image! I, too, have had one of these (a no-name purchase from the local garden club a few years ago) and it also just bloomed. The little pine cone looking item will pop out insignificant flowers...not insignificant to me after that looooonnnggg wait! Enjoy yours, too. :)
Sue
Just found this from Aloha Tropicals website:
"This species is the common "Shampoo Ginger" It is used to make both Paul Mitchell and Freeman's shampoo. Its common name in Hawaii is "Awapuhi" and produces a large green cone bract in mid summer, after blooming its bract begins turning scarlet red working its way up the cone and last for weeks. The bract resembles a pine cone which releases a thick sudsy juice when squeezed with a very gingerly scent, and can also be used as an unusual cut flower for arrangements. Grows 5' to 7' in medium sun."
Make some shampoo?
This message was edited Jul 20, 2005 7:37 AM
Lisa, I just got one at the New Orleans Botanical sale; can't wait til it looks like yours.
That's cool Lisa. I had one bloom in the greenhouse before we moved. It hasn't bloomed here yet.
One of my favs... I had a nice blooming clump at the old place... another that I didn't bring.. but DonnaB took pity on me and shared some of what she had. Mine is doing good in the swamp but I doubt that I see blooms this year.
you know I am beging to think that is a zone thing like the costus ?barbadus? unless you live in a zone where it doesn't freeze it will bloom.
which reminds me I need to do costus cuttings for everyone... I am lacking some "majority"....LOL go figure.....
ely
hi ely,
I am not sure about the not freezing part. Perhaps more with age of the plant?(thinking out loud here) My costus die back to the ground for the winter here, we have at least one freeze a winter and I still get blooms.
I am amazed at how big one of my v.costus has grown this year. I am sure it is over 6 ft. tall and full of buds. It started out as v.costus and has reverted back to solid green. Both are blooming nicely after being frozen from our Christmas treat snow storm.
other than the spiked indian head costus that is the only one that will bloom with out a second-third year growth.
ely
ely, maybe the date/time of the last freeze has something to do with it?
Does this get the red colour on it like this? http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/53328/index.html
Hi Dinu,
Good to 'see' you here! Yes, it will turn red just like the Zinginber zerumbet. I need to post another picture of this one, some nice little yellow/cream color flowers are starting to bloom off the pinecone.
Lisa,
I visit this forum often, but my postings are uncommon. Thanks for the info. I love the scent the liquid the 'bud' holds.
Dinu