Tropical ginger stunner more than just a pretty face
Kaempferias like it hot, humid and wet, that is when they are at their best. They are one of the many species of plants belonging to the Zingiberaceae family, which include a number that grow and flower in summer but disappear, as they go dormant or die back, in the winter months and as such are known as the resurrection gingers, that are mostly native to Thailand.
All parts of the Kaempferia gingers are wonderfully fragrant and the rhizomes are used in Thai recipes as well as for a wide range of medicinal purposes.
During the summer growing period, the foliage is spectacular and the contrasting, mostly blue, but sometimes white or orange, flowers are striking. This is an eye-catching ornamental plant.
Kaempferia must be grown in deep enriched compost to allow the rhizomes to develop and it requires full shade in a cool area created by a tree’s canopy. Most Kaempferia grow low to the ground, around 15cm high and are an ideal ground cover plant for a rainforest garden or a shaded corner.
In Far North Queensland these exotic rainforest beauties shine for eight months of the year. As soon as the chilly nights of May arrive, Kaempferia will go to sleep. At this time, water must be withheld or the rhizome will rot.
When the flowers fade and the leaves yellow, wither and disappear, beneath the ground the rhizome develops its aromatics and swells, and they will be ready for harvest in early spring.
At that time, the rhizomes can be shaken out, divided and potted into separate pots or taken to the kitchen for processing.
Kaempferia galanga, or “lesser galanga”, is the best known of this species because of the frequent use of its aromatic rhizome in Thai recipes.
The oil extracted from K. Galanga’s dried rhizome have been shown to have efficacious antibacterial and antifungal properties and have been and still are used as such in traditional Thai healing.
The oil extract of K. Galanga is an important ingredient in most Thai massage preparations.
A spray made from the oil, 5ml to one litre of water, can be used as an effective treatment to prevent damping off in seedling trays.
The most spectacular of all Kaempferia is the “orange peacock ginger”, K. aurantiflora. The ribbed leaves are patterned in bronze and silver on a dark green background with a luminous sheen, the underside of the elliptical leaf is purple.
Bright orange flowers appear in striking contrast to the foliage. The peacock ginger must be grown in full shade in deep composted soil and kept moist during its growing time.
Kaempferia secunda, “the pink orchid ginger”, is native to India and the Indo-China region including Myanmar. The cerise pink, two-lobed flowers are born on an erect stem 15cm tall, the oblique-lanceolate leaves grow thickly around the plant.
This ginger requires cool conditions and in
FNQ grows best on the Atherton Tablelands, it look amazing when planted thickly in drifts. Kaempferia pulchra, “bronze”, has broad elliptical leaves which are variegated with alternating bands of iridescent grey and olive green. The stems are very short and the leaves grow low to the ground. The small flowers are pale blue with a white centre and appear over the entire summer growing period. Resurrection gingers are the tulips and daffodils of the tropics, a plant we can admire throughout summer.
Before the cooler weather arrives, place a small stake with a flawed label to remind you where the Kaempferia rhizome are planted. You might like to put a note in your diary to remind you to dig the rhizomes in spring.