Costus spectabilis

Item description : 1 Costus spectabilis plant in a 2L pot. Flowering size. You receive a plant similar to the plants on pictures.

ATTENTION: It’s a tropical plant with annual dormancy, it has to be kept warm upon reception otherwise it might enter in dormancy again!

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.

When the leaves start yellowing in autumn, watering should be stopped and once all the leaves died, the pot can be stored dry as is, or the rhizomes can be harvested and stored dry, or in slightly moist perlite. Rhizomes can be planted the following late spring/summer when it’s warm again.

Cold hardiness : Tropical