Oh I saw those at lowes. I wanted to get a couple of them but I had planned to wait until they were at reduced price. Lowe's had them out in full sun. A week later they were all very badly burnt. The following week however they were all gone. Somebody must have beat me to them.

They only had 4 of them when I was there..I was going to buy a passiflora and had it in my cart until I saw this. I promptly switched up the passie for the ginger. I can't believe how large the cones are! I will get a yardstick outside tomorrow and take a photo lol. I have it in morning sun, afternoon filtered sun/shade. The leaves remind me of the taccas/bat plants :) They must be some kind of Curcuma but is much larger than the other Curcumas that I grow.

I see there's another one - a species - that actually is quite orange all over.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=curcuma%20roscoeana&qs=AS&form=QBIR&sp=2&pq=curcuma%20ro&sk=IM1&sc=7-10&cvid=66EE52C7C0FA48D98C32D7721AFA7CB6

Maybe the one you bought is a garden hybrid on the order of 'Sulee Rainbow'. (No pictures of that one on this thread anymore but it gives background. And you can get pictures elsewhere doing a web search).

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1914427/curcuma-sulee-rainbow-pics

I think a Sulee Rainbow Hybrid is probably as good of guess as any lol. I dont know if we will ever know for sure. I give my other Curcumas quite a bit of sun and as long as they are well watered they do okay. This one has larger leaves. The tag says they get 2ft tall but this is around 3ft right now I guess it grew since I got it. I need to get it in a larger pot and see what it really can do lol.

Some general measurements just to get an idea of size.

Florida_Joes, I used to work in a WalMart garden center. WalMart has two kinds of plant vendors: One kind sells them the plants directly and those are the ones they mark down. The other ones either have vendors that pick them back up (usually with perennials or bulbs they can regrow) or they have a contract where the plant have to be thrown away. That used to break my heart throwing away bulbs and perennials that just needed to be held back over until the next year, but we weren't even allowed to buy them at a reduced price. They had to be thrown away.

That' such a pretty ginger! I have a baby curcuma ginger that I got from a friend. He has a ton of them, and told me to just come get as many as I want, so I'm going to get more. He didn't remember what colors they are, but I'll be interested to find out.l

I saw them at lowes today too. So beautiful. I was thinking about putting them in full sun as well.

Dirtygardener, I don't understood the economics behind them wanting the plant material thrown away part.

Florida_Joes, those plants are not owned by WalMart. When I worked at commercial nurseries, we would sell some plants on "consignment," with the nursery getting part of the sales price, and WalMart getting part. If the plants don't sell, they don't make any money, and there has been a problem in the past with WalMart employees "hiding" the plants, then taking them home and reselling them. So now every plant has to be accounted for, and the only way is for the unsold plants to be destroyed. If the count comes up short, WalMart has to pay for the missing plants.

Huge nurseries factor a certain percentage of loss into the price. Most of these nurseries are not local. The plants are shipped in, so they can't pick up plants and rehab them like the smaller, more local nurseries can.

If plants are sold outright to WalMart, they can do whatever they want with them afterwards; mark them down, trash them, whatever.

This plant overwintered dry in its pot and late this spring when it started coming up, I put it in a larger pot. Its doing really well in mostly full sun. It gets a tiny bit of afternoon shade. It mostly thinks its a banana. Seems to like the same growing conditiins lol.

I am really happy about all the newer plants coming out at Lowes even though I still think they are a tad bit pricey. I was so sick of all the same boring stuff in these big box stores.

Thank you for replying back. I'm glad your plant made it! I was so heartbroken when I lost a couple tropicals over the winter. trying to maintain a tropical vibe by my pool landscape but I'm considering more cold hardy, less tropical plants to avoid losing plants to the cold again.

I have a couple of Curcuma species, australasica and rubescens. The australasica looks very much like the one in the photo above. The rubescens gets a deep reddish tinge to the stem and leaves. They don't like full sun, and they don't like water during the dry season when they're dormant.

They do not do well in full sun or at least mine didnt

i put mine in a large pot under a large tree. They only get filtered light and like water.

mine are doing amazing mine have tripled in shoots in one year so now I'm going to repot them in more planters.

well worth the money.

Yea, I'm learning that the hard way, although the tag read up to 6 hrs full sun..the leaves burn in full and start curling under..which is my water indicator..I trim the leaf edges about once a week, but they're growing and getting "babies" all the time..more maintenance than if they were in shade or filtered sun;can't move them now...thanks for posting what you found..

I just had mine bloom. I got it from my Chinese friend down the road, and he didn't know what it was. I thought it might be turmeric, but it didn't grow those types of roots, so I just let it grow, and it's bloomed that beautiful pink flower now. Since he has an overabundance of these, I'm going to go get some more soon, and finally turn that area into my ginger/bromeliad bed. It's the only place that is shaded most of the day.

I vaguely remember someone giving me these ginger-root scraps... and finally throwing them into the ground... one of those three-second planting jobs. But I can't remember who or when.

Then, this year, these lovely HUUUGE leaves came up and unfurled... much wider than my other gingers' leaves... and all summer, I've been wondering what type of ginger I have.

Well, I turned around yesterday and they had bloomed! They are Curcuma petiolata, commonly known as Hidden Ginger or Siam Tulips.

Will the blooms turn pink as they age?

Carol in Jacksonville

No, some cucurmas have white flowers, some have other colors. Mine is just like the one in the top photo. I like yours!

I am master gardener in Sarasota......I ha many varieties of ginger in my yard from antique 50 year old shampoo ginger, verigated gingers and now adding Jenibre orange torch......which is curcuma orange torch......read label carefully. ALL gingers like dappled sunlight to shade and if in sun will curl and burn. They do best in ground. I always leave plants well watered in pot a move around tthe to see where appropriate light is before planting. If in south...6 hrs of direct light will fry any plant...even melt succulents and burn cacti before t are acclimated. I couldn't resist this darling......that is why you need to move cautiously....by the WAY YOUR RECEIPT......LOWES AND HOME DEPOT BOTH HAVE ONE YEAR WARRANTIES. I HAVE BROUGHT BACK DEAD PLANTS with I tag and RECEIPT and they gave me full refund. Much better than nursery which gives 3 mo max. Whatever you do......no 6 hrs sun, please..........good luck.

Sarasota Fl. Master

Mine is still happy. I gave it a bigger pot and put it in front of some large banana plants where they get morning sun and slanted afternoon sun.

My butterfly gingers/hedychium get full sun and don't curl as long as they get watered often, even the ones in pots. Some of the other varieties do like afternoon filtered/slanted sun and full morning sun. Florida sun isn't as intense as say, desert full sun. Due to the humidity, plants can take more sun here. Full sun means different things in different places.

I agree with moving plants around in pots before deciding to sink them in the ground. Of course, sometimes I do that and then they pout anyways because they don't like the soil for whatever reason. Plants often have their own minds of what is ideal for them lol.

Hi Karen! I have one of these from last year and the blooms are even more fabulous this year. I agree with you regarding sun. This plant does fabulously in the dappled shade of an oak. It can take some sun, but it needs more water and there is risk of burn. So why risk it? (Btw, hedyciums and zingibers take more sun than curcuma and costa)

I came across this post because I was looking for a species name for this plant, but I guess it doesn't have one. It's just curcuma Orange Torch trademarked.

Eve

I just bought an Orange Torch Ginger plant today, and it has two beautiful flowers on it. I bought it because I have five smaller curcuma ginger plants which I have had for at least 8 or 9 years. They grow great, but I never thought about them, they are planted in a shady area, and get little sun, but they have grown immensely well, however the large one I bought today, I’m afraid it might be too hot in the spot I wanted to plant it. This plant is much larger than my others, and I paid way more than the others, and as someone said, Lowe’s is a little pricey on them, but I wanted I !! Now where to plant it, or leave it in The pot for the winter, and make my decision later ??

I left mine in the pot last year. I was planning to plant it this year, but it was beautiful I put the growers pot into a decorative pot and it looks nice on display like that.

HU...where do you live....you talk about the winter....leaving gingers outside in zones 9b and higher (this is subtropical and tropical) are just fine.....they are ok....I believe 35 ish degrees....very short period sheltered. If you are up north they are decorative in nature! Hey, eep...my love! Why don't you do an article for the Passionvine on this delightful plant that seems to be the rage! HU, KEEP YOUR RECEIPT....as I said above....if it dies...bring plant back with receipt...even if they can't id the dead plant Lowe's or Home depot will refund. That is why I have no qualms about purchasing something above budget from them. This plant is a very large one and I have seen them 1/4 or less the size for $8.00....so I really thought it is great. Thriving under a banana in a pot in back. It is so fantastic I am thinking of leaving in pot on lanai till blooms spent....enjoy! EEp's friend, Karen!

Karen, this plant is apparently the rage! I posted a picture on FB and I got so many comments - because they have seen it and wondered if it was worth the price! LOL

There are so many spectacular varieties on this site below. I would definitely start a collection if the tubers were sold more commonly. I never see them offered bareroot anywhere locally. www.gingerwoodnursery.com/shop/page/3/

Mine has put up a new sprout, so I now have two.

FANTASTIC; THEY SAY TO PLANT MULTIPLES TOGETHER....ARE YOU A MOMMY OR GRANDMA! MY EXPENSIVE ONE CAME WITH THREE SHOOTS AND 3 FLOWERS....SO i DON'T THINK THE $29.00 WAS OUTRAGEOUS. IS AS BIG AS MANY OF MY 8 YEAR OLD GINGERS (OF COURSE i KEEP THEM TRIMMED)....THIS PLANT IS JUST FANTASTIC ...LOVE IT! 9B SEMI TROPICAL GRANDMA KIKI

2

If I have these in pots, what do I do during the winter? Let them dry out in my garage? Dog them up and ziplock them? Water 1x a week?

I'm fairly new to gardening and did not plan for the dormant stage so I have these in my most beautiful pots and I really don't feel like looking at a pot of dirt for 4 months. I'd like to pair them with something that is not going to die off but I I'm unsure about how much water to let these bulbs get.

I'm near Madeira Beach / St Petersburg

I think is 10A

I just leave mine in the pots outside and dont water them if they are dormant. I am in NE FL and they start dying back, usually in November sometime. Once they start going dormant you dont want to water or the bulb will rot. A little rain wont hurt anything. If it floods, move it. You could put it under the house eaves. I have stored globbas & curcumas, in their pots in a shed but I quit doing it, only because mice got in there and ate up a lot of the bulbs. They seem to be safer outside as long as I put them Away from the other plants that I have to water (so I dont accidently water them).

This plant get prettier every year, I think.

I planted in SW Florida full sun 6+ hours and the leaves continue to burn...moving to a partial sun location.

The really bright pink ones look like the king of siam curcumas. Luckily almost are edible. For me in Southwest FL they are not full sun, and prefer some shade. Mine are mostly planted at the north side of my house with 4 hours of direct and 3hours of indirect sub or are planted near a palm tree and get 2-4 hours of shade in the middle of the day. The ones I tried in more sun had crispy leaves and fewer roots.

Thats good to know! I would love to put more gingers in the ground. For some reason critters like to come dig up the roots and kill them. I had something dig up my Costus Speciosus, globbas, curcumas, Kaemferias, etc. The only thing they dint bother are the hedychiums. They leave Cannas and some other bulbs/tubers etc alone. Its so annoying! So I keep a lot of my gingers potted.

I have mine planted on the north side, morning sun. They grow like crazy!. I live in very sw Florida. I cut them down to the ground in November and they grow bigger and bigger each year.

May i jump in, this past labor day 2023 walk in Lowes and i saw these beautiful cone flowers orange ginger torch and they are half price, Im looking for info if its perennial or annual. google wont even tell me anyway I bought a pair for half a price each for $12. anyone knows if its perennial

They are perennial as long as the rhizome/root doesn't freeze or rot and turn mushy. I know they are hardy to zone 9a outdoors in a pot. I am in a zone 8b now and had this outdoors in its pot under a metal carport roof (no sides). It freezes here- got into the upper teens a few times last winter. I thought I might lose it but it returned! It is smaller than it was. It may need repotting or less sun. My last property haf too much shade. This one has too much sun lol (except out in the wooded parts). I really think this ginger likes full morning sun and dappled afternoon shade. Too much shade it gets leggy, too much sun seems to stunt it.

Mine is in the big pot it came in and I have it on my front entryway screened porch. The leaf edges have gotten brown, I have carried it outside and left it a few hours on occasion and maybe it got too much sun. My yard is watered with a sprinkler system and if I plant it in the ground, even in a shady area, it would get watered year-round for 30 miutes per day. Woud that cause the rhizome to rot during its dormant season or would I need to bring it inside my lanai? When is the dormant season for this plant so I will know when to bring it in?

Yes, it will rot if watered when dormant. Mine is starting to go dormant now..it will die back and look dead in October here. Thats when you quit watering. You can begin watering again in the late spring (usually sometime in May) once you see new growth. I usually add some fresh potting soil and divide rhizomes if necessary at this time also. Rain water wont bother it in a pot unless under a downspout. One year I left mine out under the Live Oaks in pots in zone 9a. They got rain and still did ok. I did not water the pots.

I dont know if they go totally dormant in South FL. Maybe someone else can answer that.

I am in Central Florida and unfortunately hurricane Milton destroyed both plants. Hoping they

will come back in the spring.

Mine got a deluge of rain yesterday. It is still in a pot and we will be getting several nights in a row of temps under freezing. I am going to put in inside for awhile because cold and wet isnt good. I put a bunch of gingers down by our ponds for an experiment to see how they do this winter. I figure we are a half zone warmer down there. This winter should be a good test since we have got into the 20's several times. Next year, I will try a few more different varieties down there, including the Sulee Rainbow ginger, if it doesnt croak this winter.