Just begining to show itself..
Costus Speciosa Variegata-pic
Another shot..
I really like that one. I might need to add it to my collection.
Just bought one, thrilled to death to finally find one. It's such a beautiful plant.
kathy
I went shopping today and couldn't believe it when I saw this guy , i had been drooloing over your pics earlier in the week, I think its the same , although mine doesn't seem to have the spiral growth, are the leaves satin feeling with little hairs. What kind of light does it like ? Im going to move it around till i find the right spot.
Do you think its the same?
I see a tad of spiral going on there, could be amazonica costus I think that's it's name,
There are just two variegated Costus commonly found in US horticulture, and they look somewhat similar but are not hard to tell apart even when not in flower. There is the one in Moodine's photo that is actually now called Cheilocostus speciosus 'Variegata' due to a recent reclassification of Costaceae. It can usually be distinguished by a reddish tint to the stems and a soft velvety feel to the undersides of the leaves. Sometimes it forms the tight spirals that make it such a beautiful landscape plant. When it flowers, it has the same reddish bracts and white flowers as the non-variegated Cheilocostus speciosus. More photos at http://www.gingersrus.com/DataSheet.php?PID=3238 .
The other one is usually found in horticulture under the incorrect name of Costus amazonicus, due to an incorrect identification made many years ago by someone (nameless here) and given to Tim Chapman for his ginger book. It is now well established that this is a variegated form of the South American species Costus arabicus. It produces green or variegated green and white stems and the undersides of the leaves feel somewhat scabrid or rough - not felty. When it flowers, the bracts are also variegated green and white like the leaves, and the flowers are white but not as wide and flat. This plant will often revert back to solid green as shown in this photo I took last week at Lyon Arboretum in Hawaii. More photos at http://www.gingersrus.com/DataSheet.php?PID=3236 .
Dave Skinner
www.gingersrus.com
Photo of Costus arabicus 'Var' at Lyon Arboretum, Oahu, Hawaii
This message was edited Oct 21, 2006 2:40 PM
Both are quite stunning, Thanks Dave.
kathy
I put my Ginger (Cheilocostus speciosus 'Variegata') in the ground, it's still in its pot for the moment untill i'm sure its happy in its spot. I have some low hanging branches that are now trailing on the ground. I was thinking of staking them so they hold a more erect position, will they retain this position or will they always hang down or should i make cuttings from these branches ?
BTW whats the best way to get cuttings.
Modeen sorry to Hijack your thread.
It has always grown best for me in about 4 hours direct sun. The variegated form is not as hardy as the standard Cheilocostus (Costus) speciosus. You are lucky to be in zone 11, celt33040. Wish I was in a warmer area so I could grow all my Costus outdoors.
As to the stem cuttings, there are differing opinions on the best way to start Costus cuttings. I use plain perlite and stick them vertically, but some people prefer horizontal. Tom Wood told me the natural hormones collect by gravity that way (vertical), but I have never seen a scientific study to verify one way is better than the other. It is not necessary to use any rooting hormone because they do not actually root the stems in most cases, they just grow new plants from the leaf axils. The most reliable rooting part is an end cutting, especially at the base of an old inflorescense. You will often see little plants growing from the base of an old inflo. and starting to grow roots while still on the plant and up in the air.
Ceil Dow at Mercer Arboretum in Houston wrote an excellent article on rooting Costus a couple of years ago at the Ginger Workshop. I don't think they put it up on the web, but I will have to ask her about it. Maybe we can get it posted somewhere.
Dave Skinner
www.gingersrus.com
.
Ceil Dow gave me permission to use her articles she wrote for the 2005 Mercer Arboretum Ginger Workshop in Houston. This includes detailed instructions and photos for dividing Alpinias, Curcumas, Hedychiums and Kaempferias. Also how to start Costus from cuttings. I have added them to my website at http://www.gingersrus.com/division.htm .
Dave Skinner
www.gingersrus.com
Thanks Dave
That's great info, Ill try it out next weekend.
A quick question.
Thae one branch i want to cut off already has 4 smaller Plants/branches developing from leaf scars. How would deal with that branch.
It is a pleasure for someone to hijack my thread..lol...we can all learn a great deal this way...Thanks for putting some input on these wondeful gingers...for all of us to learn more about them..
celt33040, your plant is branching or in effect already rooting out of the ground,. The Asian Costaceae (Cheilocostus and Tapeinochilos) all have that tendency as well as the neotropical species Costus arabicus, for branching. Others will often do it at the base of an old inflor. which is why that is the most reliable part to "root".
You can just cut off the stem about 2-3 inches BELOW where a plantlet is starting, and about 1/2 - 1 inch above it, then stick the stem into the planting medium so that the base of the new plantlet is just under the surface.
Dave Skinner
www.gingersrus.com
Thanks Dave
I plan to start a little stock of them for for trading.
ahhh, Mercer Arboretum, such a fabulous place. Wish I lived closer to it. But as it is, I have to pack a lunch just to get there, lol.
Dave, if Ceil Dow is a she, I had the pleasure to attend a lecture on gingers presented at my co. extension office. It was great.
It could have been Ceil, but more likely Linda Gay, the director. They are both good friends, great ladies. Linda has been interested in gingers for many years and I know she gives a lot of talks to Master Gardener groups. BTW, for any of you Houston area people who might not already know this, Mercer Arboretum has one of the better collections of gingers in the country. Of course now is not the best time to see them, but go anytime from about May when the spring Curcumas are blooming through September or early October for the Hedychiums. They used to have an annual Ginger Workshop there, now expanded to a full tropicals workshop, I missed it this year but gave the talk on Costus there for past two years.
Dave Skinner
www.gingersrus.com
Ceil Dow on the left, Linda Gay on the right
This message was edited Oct 29, 2006 10:08 AM
It was the blonde, Linda Gay, and I remember now that she was introduced as director. Not surprised that their collection is among tops, it is something else. And when they have their spring sale, the variety of gingers to be had is out of this world.