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A species from southern Thailand and Malaysia which is really a tropical forest species, but said to tolerate short periods of frost if it gets enough warmth in summer to make up the damage.
2007 was a short cold summer, and most of the Gingers were set back by it. I have admired the species for a long time in the Palm House at Kew where it gets tropical temperatures and wild optimism inspired me to have a go. I got it from the Plant Group Company in Thailand and it grew slowly during the first summer and didn't recover after the first winter. In an article in'Malaysian Naturalist', Chee Beng Jin and Lau Kah Hoo say: "Zingiber spectabile or Beehive Ginger ... can be found growing under the shade in evergreen forests, along trails, roadsides, streams and edges of the forest up to 1000m altitudes. Under optimal conditions, Z. spectabile can grow up to 4.5m tall. The inflorescence is a cylindrical spike, large'beehive-like' measuring 10 - 30cm x 6-7cm with a rounded apex. This species gained its fame in the horticulture industry due to its ability to last long and its ability in 'transforming' colour on the inflorescence bracts. An ardent gardener would notice colour changes from yellow (sometimes greenish) to red through to orange. These colour changes are believed to be triggered by the maturity stages ofthe inflorescence over a 40-55 day period. For Z. spectabile, the flowers are dark purple with yellow spots. ln Malaysia, this ginger flowers between July to September and fruits in November. A single inflorescence may contain 95-1 75 flowers, but it seldom flowers simultaneously. Only a few flowers are produced once in an acropetal sequence, meaning the flowers mature from the bottom toward the top. The flowers usually will not last long, less than 24 hours and they open between lOam and 2pm." |
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