Scientific Name
Etlingera maingayi (Baker) R.M.Sm.
Synonym(s)
Amomum maingayi, Hornstedtia maingayi, Nicolaia maingayi, Phaeomeria maingayi
Common Name(s)
Malay Rose
Scientific Classification
Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Etlingera
Origin
Etlingera maingayi is native to southern Thailand and Malaysia.
Flower
Color: Pink to red
Bloom Time: Throughout the year
Description
Etlingera maingayi is a herbaceous perennial plant that grows up to 6.7 feet (2 m) tall. Its leaves are variable, with undulating fringes, and emit a sour scent when crushed. Young leaves are translucent and reddish on both sides.
The flowers are pink to red and are eaten as vegetables.
How to Grow and Care for Etlingera maingayi
Hardiness: USDA hardiness zones 10b to 11b: from 35°F (1.7°C) to 50°F (10°C).
Torch Ginger can grow in a range of soil types. However, a major problem when growing Torch Ginger plants is potassium deficiency. Potassium is necessary for proper water uptake, which supports this large plant's optimum growth.
Add potassium to the soil before growing Torch Gingers by working it into unplanted beds to a depth of about a foot (30 cm). Organic ways to add potassium include greensand, kelp, or granite meal. Test the soil.
When growing these plants in established beds, fertilize with a food that is high in potassium. This is the third number on the fertilizer ratio displayed on the packaging. Once the potassium is right in the soil, watering, an important part of learning how to grow torch ginger successfully, will be more beneficial.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Torch Ginger (Etlingera elatior).
Links
- Back to genus Etlingera
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
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