Ricky,
Etlingera elatior is the botanical name. I grew this in Orlando. I had a great micro climate.

There is a nursery in Puerto Rico, I got mine from. I want to order more as I didn't move this one down.

Tropicalfreak

I think it's a Etlingera Elatior, torch ginger. The flower comes out at ground level. I have a red one that's never bloomed yet. They're supposedly very, very cold sensitive. I fell in love with them when I saw them growing in Hilo, Hawaii.

Here is a link that might be useful: torch ginger

Too funny, I think Cliff sniped me :)! We should have a game show "Name that Plant" with prizes for the quickest.

LoL...Jen you're funny. : ))

You guys are right. That's what it appears to be. The colony this one was growing in was about a hundred square feet - nothing but flowers!

Where did you see them? That must have looked amazing!

Kim

Ricky,
I've got some of pink and some of the red in the process of getting established, too small to divide yet but if you want some I can probably bring you some to the Fall swap a que lol.

Helen - I'd love just one of each to put in a pot. I saw how these rascals spread.

Yes it is a Torch Ginger. The name "tulip" comes from the fact that some species of the Etlingeras have very small "torches", and some have huge baseball or bigger sized "torches". The large growing torches can be borne on stalks over 3 ft tall; the tulips usually on 1 ft or less.

The regular Pink Torch and Red Torch (E. elatior) are not "tulip" torch gingers. They have very large flowers.

The "tulips" do include E. fulgens (aka E. heiroglyphica). E. venusta, and some others. There is a pink that is a tulip, called E. "Yamamoto" which I grew for a bit, nice plant. I also grew the red and the pink Elatiors for several years but got rid of them...they spread rampantly.

The only one I still grow is E. fulgens, its a very nice plant with a very unusual bloom, beautiful iridescent foliage and is more easily contained.