Kaempferia rotunda (Peacock Ginger) Rhizome Clump

Family: Zingiberaceae (includes gingers, galangals, and turnerics)
Genus: Kaempferia (includes Thai black ginger)

Botanical/Binomial Name: Kaempferia rotunda
Meaning of Name:
Kaempferia, after Engelbert Kaempfer (1651–1716), a German naturalist, physician, explorer and writer who lived in Japan and east Asia from 1689-1693, writing of their native plants whilst there; and
rotunda, from Latin rotunda (feminine singular of rotundus, ‘round, spherical’): a reference to the shape of the tubers

Common Names: Peacock Ginger, Indian Crocus, Round-rooted Galangale

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

Item Description:
Potted peacock ginger can be purchased here if in stock.

Photos are indicative of, but not necessarily the exact rhizomes you will receive.

You will receive a decent clump of rhizomes, with the tubers and roots intact. This clump can be planted as is, or can be divided into pieces to plant out separately.

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

Peacock ginger is named for the pattern on the leaves, reminiscent of a peacock’s fanned-out tail, as seen in the fourth photo. The deep red-brown undersides of the leaves add even more beauty to this already magnificent species.

The flower and leaf are never seen together, but the all-over-the-place weather the past few years seems to trigger the highly irregular appearance of both at once these days. Also unusual is that the flowers last about a week instead of the more typical two or three days.

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

I only grow this exquisite plant long-term in 9 L Air-Pot containers, in which all gingers do amazingly well. The foliage and Air-Pot wall complement each other for an added aesthetic!

Like all members of the ginger family, K. rotunda prefers a well-draining soil rich in organic matter. This is another reason gingers in general do so well in Air-Pot containers, as they naturally create a rich aerobic environment which doesn’t enable water to accumulate.

Rhizomes reshoot around November. Typically the flowers appear first for a few days, then die to be followed by the leaves, but of late this hasn’t been the case and both are just as likely to appear together as not, at least here in my climate.