Kaempferia rotunda

Kaempferia rotunda is a small ginger that is found across a wide geographical stretch of Asia and SE Asia where it is grown as much for its medicinal properties as its highly ornamental flowers and foliage. It is the flowers that appear first, growing directly from the rhizomes out of the bare soil, giving rise to one of the plant's many common names: Resurrection Lily. Exquisitely beautiful, the purple and white flowers, resemble large ornate butterflies and are borne one or two at a time, each flower lasting several days, with more following on in succession over a period of weeks. When flowering is finished the foliage emerges. And what interesting foliage it is! Lanceolate-oblong in shape, the leaves are a mid-green colour on the outer edges patterned with silver markings and an intricate darker green set of markings down the central midrib. The underside is a deep purplish-red.

Kaempferia rotunda is a cold-tolerant ginger but the limits of its tolerance is emphatically reached at freezing point and it must be considered tender for the UK and northern Europe. During winter it is best brought inside into a warm greenhouse or conservatory and kept dry during its winter dormancy until all danger of frost has passed in the following spring. Because of its tender nature and its relatively small size, it is a ginger that is best suited to growing in a container and kept at table-top height, where its stunningly beautiful flowers and elegantly-patterned foliage can be appreciated at close-quarters.

Limited quantities available.