Costus spectabilis SPECIMEN

Item description : 1 community pot of Costus spectabilis. The pot for sale is the pot on pictures and contains 3 adult plants. 

Habitat and Description : A beautiful small size ginger from tropical Africa that looks like a big 4 leaves clover laying flat on the ground. Superb yellow flowers. It produces long stolons that tend to escape from the pot by the drainage holes. This species has an annual dormancy: when its habitat becomes dryer, vegetative parts die and only the long rhizome remains, waiting for the next wet season to grow again. Under our latitudes, it’s usually the lower temperatures in autumn that triggers dormancy.

Care :  Tropical conditions. Needs warmth and a lot of water during the vegetative season. A good light intensity is needed  for the growth to remain compact. Minimum temperature 20°C at night and 25-35°C during the day to keep it in growth.

Keep the rhizome at room temperature in slightly damp perlite and make sure it doesn’t dessicate too much. Plant around May/June, keep warm and humid in well draining potting soil.

Cold hardiness : Tropical