I bought it at Zone 9 this spring but i cant remember what it is called. I have looked on several sites and still cant find a match. The leaves are very thick.
can anyone identify this?
and it leaves these rings on the stem that collect water...?
It could be this one: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/123786/
there are a few other costus that have the red on the back of the leaves also, but I did also see this listed on Zone 9's site
Tropicanna, Its very close, but the new shoots form differently. The second pic is a shot of a newly forming stalk, and out of all the pics of red leafed gingers i have never seen this. And it still hasn't bloomed, who know what that will look like! Thanks for the help Tropicanna.
I always look on the gingers r'us site when in doubt, hope that helps. :)
I think that is going to bloom red and unscented.
Don't bet too much on that though.
Just adding it to see if it confirms anyone's suspicions. :)
Truetropical77, did you ever figure out what that monster is?
well yes and no. I talked to the person I bought it from and he said that he imported it from Brazil and that it is an unidentified species.
It's Costus vinosus. Check out www.gingersrus.com; Thumbnails, then Costus part VI (Species T-Z).
It likes it were you have it I just bought one on ebay with purple and green leaves. Has a very small fragrant flower gingers are neat and there is so many out there
Oops! Truetropic I was giving your costus i.d. I never saw the answer to your question whether there were the rings on the stems.
Did you ever give it a name I bought mine on ebay walkinwater has it I belive it has a very small flower thats yellow looks like a shell ginger flower
http://www.gingersrus.com/DataSheet.php?PID=4170
Could be Costus 'Maroon Chalice" or Costus 'Ruby Chalice' - I bought one from Wayne at Zone 9 Tropicals that looks like yours..
It is Costus "Maroon Chalice". I have grown this for many years now. Its a great plant, not all that cold hardy though. It will come back if it freezes to the ground, but never attain the stature it had before, and never bloom. It would be best to pot some up before winter comes.
There is also a form that has green stems, its called 'Emerald Chalice" and, sometimes, "Buddah Belly Ginger'. Both the green and the red bloom with identical orange-red pineapple like terminal blooms with yellow true flowers.
This is a photo of one of my stands of Maroon Chalice. Its a lovely plant. I recently pruned the stand, and removed all the older larger stalks with spent blooms so I have no bloom photo to offer at the moment
This is a detail of the stem
This is a view of the Green form, Emerald Chalice
gothqueen, those are nice one's. Are they still green where you live? Mine have all shriveled up and turned brown from the winter.
All The Best,
Dean
Dean,
these are greenhouse grown in the ground inside the GH. I have them planted outside as well, outside they die back every year so yes, most of them are down at the moment. My GH plants are coming into bloom now.
Oh! Okay, I should have read more of the thread. Good luck with your GH.