Kaempferia rotunda (Peacock Ginger, Bhumi Champa) in 9 L Air-Pot

Family: Zingiberaceae (includes ginger, galangal, and turneric)
Genus: Kaempferia (includes Thai black ginger)

Botanical/Binomial Name: Kaempferia rotunda
Common Names: Peacock Ginger, Bhumi Champa, Indian Crocus, Round-rooted Galangale

Botanical Characteristics: Herbaceous | Perennial | Rhizomatous | Frost tender
Propagation: Division of rhizomes

Item Description:
PICK-UP ONLY
This plant is from a single rhizome planted in a 9 L Air-Pot.

Dimensions of the 9 L Air-Pot:
Inside diameter: 233 mm
Outside diameter: 269 mm
Height: 275 mm

The top two rows of cones are closed and act as a water reservoir.

Plant Description:
This member of the ginger family is both a medicinal plant as well as a striking ornamental.

The flower and leaf are never seen together, but the lack of a summer last year seemed to trigger the highly irregular appearance of both at once, as can be seen in photo 2! (I wrote about the reason in this blog post, where photo 2 also appears.)

This exquisite plant is currently growing in a 9 L Air-Pot, in which all gingers do amazingly well.

Also making itself at home in the cones on the front-right of the container is the delightful Selaginella, a pretty little thing which also loves it cool, moist and shady!

Growing Information:
Kaempferia rotunda happily grows in a pot or the ground, and will absolutely thrive in any permanently cool, shady spot as the last three photos show.

LIke all members of the ginger family, K. rotunda prefers a well-draining soil rich in organic matter.

If you are planning to transplant into the ground, I’d strongly recommend waiting until the plant enters dormancy in June/July and the last leaf has fallen off around September/October. This is because the K. rotunda rhizome withdraws all nutrients from the leaves to store over winter, and it is best not to disturb the plant or its leaves whilst it does so. The plant is completely dormant and safe to transplant/divide when all leaves come away without any resistance whatsoever.

Rhizomes reshoot around November. Typically the flowers appear first for a few days, then die to be followed by the leaves.