Had just a 6" knob brought with me from Louisiana. Multiplied over 4 years here in NC. Had a late freeze, and the blooms were delayed. They grew as tall as the house, and the blooms never stop attracting butterflies and giant moths. The fragrance complements the beautiful flowers. Thought I had to sacrifice growing beautiful hedychiums when I moved here. Blessed am I to be wrong!
This message was edited Sep 24, 2007 8:12 PM
I had n o idea that they got that tall. I love their fragrance too
Neither did we! DH planted this facing east side. Got more than their share of full sun. We transplanted some of it's offsprings in more shady locations, but they didn't grow as tall. Happy part is, the first year we planted them, they bloom that year too! Oh yeah, we do feed them with specially formulated food. As for their fragrance, they opened up my sinuses! Here's a close-up.
Thanks Kathy for your info on that unknown curcuma.
That is awesome. I didn't know they got that tall either~WOW. Butterfly attractants and fragrance are a big plus.
Angel, another bonus: This spring/summer we had an invasion of Japanese beetles. They destroyed my hibiscus, daturas and roses but left all the hedychiums and curcumas alone. For us that want an eco-friendly garden, they are certainly a boon.
Well that is definitely a plus. I really hate japanese beetles. Not much bothers any of my gingers either come to think of it. I don't have any hedychiums yet though (sort of a ginger newbie here~ shhh don't tell anyone lol), but I wonder if it is like that with all the ginger varieties? Oh wouldn't it be great if all our plants were this pest resistant. :D
Angel, grinning here @ our common fear of jap beetles. The costus and galangal were safe too, so I suppose the pungency of the leaves were too much for the beetles? If you like, when the time is right for dividing the rhizomes, I will be glad to mail you some. Email me.
I'm a newbie to this forum here, but willing to share my joy.
heavenscape: pls add me to your list when those rizomes are ready................they look beautiful!
Be happy to, Anaid.
heavenscape, sent you a dmail. Thanks so much for the offer. My kids always thought it was so funny that I was afraid of the Japanese Beetles. My son would get them and throw them at me when he was little just to get me to scream and run LOL!!
I am glad I am not the only ginger newbie here :) Interesting about the costus and galangal gingers being hardy. I am still learning which ones are hardy to where.
I have a kaempferia grande that came back last year. It is in a pot though and it goes dormant and in the garage for the winter.
Here is the photo of the flowers this spring.
Nothing takes your breath away like a long anticipated bloom! They are beautiful!
I grow Costus for their beautiful form. And the galangals for their scented leaves. The rhizomes are also good in curries. The summers are too short for blooms.
I had kaempferias back in Louisiana (zone9).
Angel, your zone should be a haven for these tropicals, expecially easy growing curcumas. Just don't forget to mist them to induce the much needed humidity.
Costus sound interesting. I don't know if it this zone is a haven though- lol. It has no humidity. It is a desert zone 10 lol. Very hot 120 in the summer. I dont have to worry so much about plants dying in the winter, it is the summer that can kill them. I had to set up a shade house with misters this summer to keep the sun off of the tropicals because it burns them so bad.
I also used to live in LA, how wierd! I lived near Lk Charles for awhile then down in S. Vermilion Parish. Moved here last fall. Things sure did grow great in LA especially on the coast. I didnt know that galangals were used in curry.
I did get the store bought ginger to see if I could grow it and it also flowered last fall. Didnt ever use the tubers because now I am attatched to that ginger lol. So just keep getting them from the store to cook with. I have a variegated alpina ginger that does do well here even with the heat and dry winds.
~Lenette
This message was edited Sep 29, 2007 4:55 PM
Something new for me to learn. Geesh, guess there are pros and cons to any zones!! Moi used to live in Lafayette and St. Martin parishes. There are some serious hibiscus growers there too. I was growing ginger when ginger wasn't cool!! LOL.
This message was edited Sep 30, 2007 12:59 AM
The white butterfly, though common, still a beauty.
Daniel Weeks...a shy bloomer.
I guess mine is a peach too? It's pretty dark color. I had moved this one..I thought...but it looks like something was left behind. Do you think it's a peach? I hope you don't mind the post.. I had to find a home for this one lonely picture!
Rj
RJ, your hedychium has a deeper salmon throat than my peach! Could it be the just "Salmon" variety? There are so many cultivars with almost similar colorings, like the Kewense. Have to admit, even if they're unknown, they are still our gardens' treasures right? Due to the late freeze that we had here, some of my other hedychiums are still in their buds. Hope I can share more pics soon. Oh yes, your beautiful hedychium won't be lonely here.
Jayesri
Someone was telling me it's a queen Elizabeth...oh darn..I'm going ot have to go find that post now...
LOL!! RJ.another possibility, tho' Elizabeth has a raspberry hue. Just enjoy it! I also discover that there are some sellers who have no qualms in renaming the species, in order to fetch higher prices, by listing them as "new hybrids"! By the way...do you know anything about growing guavas apart from them being tropicals. Just got one from your hometown.
Jayesri
Oh..which place did you buy from?
I know what you mean..I went to a tropical work shop at the arboretum here, and they had a ginger person that really had the "hybrids" going. So..your right..I'm just going to enjoy it.
As far as I know...and I do need to since I brought back some seeds from Kauai, they can grow in alot of soil conditions, and seem to subscribe to the tropical format of....well drained, not too wet, not too dry - heavy feeders, hybrids today are colder tolerant, but as a rule of thumb...Anything below 33F sucks for a plant falling in the tropical category. Interestingly though the tree does produce best if there is a cool season. That typically means hot humid wet season followed by a dry season with crisp cool nights.
I don't know if they produce fruit in pots. I typically have noticed that most fruit producing things struggle to produce in pots.
Rj
Got it at one of the Chinese stores on Bellaire Blvd. You'd be surprise to find some htf tropicals there and at great prices too. I'd heed your advice.
My gf who lives in Houston is lucky to have a huge guava producing tree in her backyard. I don't think mine will ever fruit, as NC climate is not that kind!
DH had diarrhea once, and I remembered my old grandparents back in Singapore telling us of the leaves' properties. Chew some, and the diarrhea will go away!!! It worked! Talk about bitter...
Thanks RJ.
yes..as a matter of fact I was just reading that..I will send you the link ...
http://www.rain-tree.com/guava.htm
heavenscape, any of those "Peach" hedychium rizomes ready for a new home yet? Just keeping in touch......
Hi Anaid, I still have your snail mail addy, and don't you worry. Hubby had poured mulch over the ginger beds and I don't want to send you anything that might rot. So, spring will be the perfect time.
