Tuesday 18 August 2015

Growing Variegated Crepe Ginger Plant In My Garden

I first found this attractive plant on the grass by the roadside. Someone has uprooted the whole plant and discarded it. I broke off a young shoot with it roots and took it home and adopted it into my garden.
It has now grown into an adult plant and I have many times cut it down and it grew back again. It will grow back as long as there is rhizome remaining in the ground.

This is the Variegated Crepe Ginger or the Variegated Spiral Flag plant. Its scientific name is Cheilocostus Speciosus 'Variegatus' (the former Costus Speciosus 'Variegatus').

It is an evergreen plant. The leaves have streaks of green and white.

When the sun gets too hot, the leaves can easily get burnt.

Some of the leaves will be plain green without the white streaks.

Variegated Crepe Ginger are grown for its showy leaves with shades of green and white streaks.

The leaves grow alternating on the spiralling stems.

Some of the stems will grow upright. The stems are usually in red and green.

The stems can grow very tall and when they get too tall and heavy, they will fall over. I usually will cut off the stems that get too tall or have fallen over to keep it tidy and neat.
New shoots grow directly from the ground through rhizomes. The stems are round and thick and they are not woody.

If left uncontrolled, it will spread over the ground through underground rhizomes.

Variegated Crepe Ginger grows well in rich, moist and well drained garden soil. Propagation of new plants can be done by dividing of rhizomes.

Normally I will cut off the taller stems to keep the plants tidy. I only keep the younger stems so I have no chance to see the older stems bear flowers. The flowers are white in colour.

Medicinal uses:
  • To lower fever - pound the leaves into paste and apply to forehead or boil parts of the plant and bathe patient with the water.
  • Some community use the young shoots as vegetables. (Use with caution.)
Never speak harshly to an older man,
but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father.
Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers.
Treat older women as you would your mother, and
treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters.
(1 Timothy 5:1-2, New Living Translation-NLT)

32 comments:

  1. It's a lovely plant. 💜 Now I wish I had a bigger garden!

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    Replies
    1. I think this plant does need a big place to grow. I haven't tried growing it in a pot.

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  2. Very nice red stem with the green white leaves. I have a plant that looks alike but the stem is not red. See if I can take a snap & show you.

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    1. Hi Irene, I would like to see your plant. There are a few with similar variegated leaves.

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  3. Certainly a beautiful looking plant, love the contrast of the red stem.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, the leaves and stem are very attractive.

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  4. This is really beautiful. I think I would get something to put beside it to tie it to just to see what kind of bloom it has.

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    Replies
    1. I have seen the flower from elsewhere and it is white like crepe. I was not patient enough to wait for the flower.

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  5. The red stems set off the variegated leaves. Tom The Backroads Traveller

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  6. Nancy what a fantastic plant You have green fingers ... you are a great garden. One dat take a photo of whole your graden it would be nice to see it.

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  7. Very interesting Nancy. You have a great ability with flowers.
    Enjoy the day my friend. See ya.

    Cruisin Paul

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Paul. Have a great day!

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    2. Hi Nancy
      I also have this plant and its beautiful. But there is some ant and Millipore problem in the soil. I sprayed baking soda and shampoo water, it worked to some extent. Can you suggest me some methods to get rid of these pests from my plant.

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    3. I no longer have this plant with me. If I see ants, I will track the ants to their nest and pour boiling water on it. If not possible, then I will use ant powder.

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  8. It's a beautiful plant. I'm glad you saved it from dying. It sure is thriving in your garden.

    Have a fabulous day Nancy. ☺

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  9. Nice that is has grown after what befell it.

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  10. It's such a pretty plant. You have so many unusual plants and you really have a green thumb.
    Hugs,
    JB

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    Replies
    1. Hi Julia, I like to collect plants and sometimes I gave them away.

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  11. Replies
    1. Hi Sharon, it is very pretty with the white and green streaks.

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  12. I have not seen this before the leaves also very lovely.

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  13. Nancy, your adopted plant is doing so well! It is very attractive and a lovely addition to your garden.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Phong Hong, it so happened that it is a hardy and easy to grow plant.

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  14. I have the plain leaf type. Your streaked ones are much nicer. Aww it was abandoned and now it's loved...

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    Replies
    1. The streaked are more attractive but the plain ones has its own beauty too.

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