Ginger ID needed

This is a cross post from the Plant ID forum. It was suggested that I post it here for better results.

I narrowed it down to like within 3 kinds. But I can't determine which exactly it is.

My neighbor gave me about 4 or 5 of these tall pole looking things today... tallest is about 7'. They look similar to bamboo towards the base where there is no foliage. It's not bamboo, as the foliage is much different. She called it "ginger"... if it is some type of ginger, I'll be really surprised....

I'd also like to know if these things can be cut back... like way back to about 3' tall.

Pic #1 - Shows the way the stalk looks with foliage

Pic #2 - Shows the bloom that appears at the very top of the stalk

Pic #3 - Shows a view from the very top looking down

Pic #4 - Shows the foliage... and over to the bottom right in this pic you can see what the taller ones look like for like the first 4' ... no foliage... like bamboo sort of. Is why I'd like to cut them back... to get foliage on the bottoms... and so the blooms can be seen.

DO NOT CUT BACK!!! Okay, now that I have that out of the way. Your plant is indeed a ginger, it is a Costus. Known in the trade as Costus spicatus, Indianhead ginger. This is a wonderful strong growing ginger that can truly be planted anywhere and it does well, full sun to full shade and it grows and blooms equally well. The blooms that poop out of the melon colored inflorescence are yummy. Just twist and pull and pop it in your mouth. I think they taste like sweet watermelon :) Costus bloom out of the top of the stem and if you cut them, blooms. This ginger is evergreen unless you had frost or freeze, but not to worry. It is an extremely cold hardy ginger. Have had ones sitting out with rhizomes exposed to 16 degrees and 11 hours below freezing. I mean, these weren't planted in the ground or even in a pot. they were laying out on a table fully exposed to the elements and came back, no problem. It is also a nice hummingbird plant.
Liz

Why not cut back... they were way too tall and lacking foliage?

Thanks,
Donna

Donna, If the foliage and stem are 'nothing' definetly cut back those particular stems to the ground, otherwise you have to allow the stems to mature, if you want blooms. If you don't want blooms, then go ahead and keep them at a manicured height. I just wanted to let you know that any viable/green stems would produce blooms, but only terminally, so if cut back: no blooms. I pluck the blooms from the inflorescenc of my spicatus and eat them.The blooms are very sweet.
Liz

Thanks for the info. Yeah, I cut them back cause they were over 7' tall and you couldn't see or reach any bloom. And most of the foliage had come off. They are already starting to regrow. I have them in pots, as I didn't know how "hardy" they were... if they would take over or anything like that. I'm thinking of transplanting to a garden.

Thanks again....

Donna

Donna,
Put them in the garden, they will thrive and bloom well in either shade or full sun. You truly can't plant them in a wrong area. Mine get about 4-5' tall, freezing back every year. Did you taste a bloom before you cut them back to the ground?
Liz :)

No, I didn't taste them. I didn't know they were eatable. I took the tops and put them in some dirt in hopes of rooting new ones..

Take care,
Donna

If you lay them on their sides and have them in a spot where they'll get watered regularly they should sprout for you.
Liz

Why nothing in plant files about this plant?

Hmmm... I would think someone would have added it.

Donna

I've never added anything to the plant file, not sure how. I'll look into it after I get back from Mounts Botanical Gardens this weekend. We're bringing plants to sell and on Sunday I'm giving a talk on gingers and their uses, they're not just another pretty face :) Costus spicatus is now known as scaber, although I'm not sure if the name change is official or not...
Liz

Here's the plantfiles entry:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/53322/

Is that what you were looking for?

Donna-costus is a type of ginger, as is curcuma, hedychiums, etlingers etc-all in the ginger family.

I thought that might be the case... after I thought about it... DOH!!!

Thanks,
Donna