Costus speciosus

One of the nicest surprises in our years of plant trialing has been the hardiness of the spiral ginger. Our 11-year-old deciduous clumps have now reached 6' tall. In spring, the tropical-looking, finger-sized stalks spiral upward to 6' (10' in the tropics), the top half clothed with felty, oval green leaves. In very late summer, the clumps are topped with a red pinecone-like flower head that produces 1" white crepe-like flowers until frost. Give your garden a tropical look that will have all the visitors guessing!