Roscoea x beesiana - Cream Group

Roscoea x beesiana is a hybrid between Roscoea auriculata from the Himalayas and Roscoea cautleyoides from Yunnan and Scihuan in China. Both species occur at high elevation in cold mountainous regions and Roscoea x beesiana is fully hardy in the UK, its new growth not appearing above ground until after the last frosts in late spring.

Roscoea x beesiana is a somewhat variable cultivar and has different recognised forms. The Cream Group - as the name suggests - has flowers that are typically cream without any colouration inherited from its purple-flowering parent, Roscoea auriculata.

The growth is clumping with pale green elongated leaves tightly wrapped at their bases to form upright pseudostems. The tube-shaped mauve outer calyx arises directly from the pseudostem and opens to reveal the delicately veined cream-coloured flower.

The flowering season - although it starts late - continues throughout the entire summer and on into the autumn, usually with two distinct flushes. The growth then dies down and the relatively small vertical rhizomes enter their extended dormancy once again.

Roscoea x beesiana is an elegant and showy ginger, well-suited to the British climate and deserves a place in every garden.