Costus Species, Red Tower Ginger, Red Velvet Ginger, Spiral Ginger

Spiral Ginger has a soft down under its leaf, which differentiates it from the shorter woodsonii Red Button variety.

Seems to propagate asexually from the inflorescence. A cluster of plantlets often forms from the "flower" with ten or more plants with r...Read Moreoots forming a pod which through its own weight causes the mother shoot to bend and eventually reach the ground where the new plants root. This may well be sexual reproduction with seeds germinating and developing right from the inflorescense itself. FASCINATING.

This beautiful Costus has been incorrectly identified many years ago. It is always sold under the name Costus barbatus, but the true Cos...Read Moretus barbatus is not in cultivation and I have never been able to find it in its native Costa Rica. This is actually a form of Costus comosus.

It is however, a great garden plant. It is hardier than most Costus species but unfortunately it only blooms if it has not frozen back - will not bloom on current year growth like most Costus will.

Dave Skinner
http://www.gingersrus.com