PlantFiles: Ginger, Red Button Ginger, Dwarf French Kiss
Costus woodsonii

The tips of the buttons produce honey-like ginger nectar "straw" flowers which little kids loves to suck on. They're my favorite snack when I'm weeding.

One of my absolute favorite plants! Probably the most dependable in my collection. I have it in a bed with birds of paradise and kimberly queen fern. The fern is well blended in with the lower portion of the plant and hardly noticeable until late fall when the ginger dies back, when the fern is very much appreciated. Grows back fuller and fuller each year and gets along greatly with the dense fern. The bed is in full sun and appreciates lots and lots of water! Its stiff upright stems prevent it from turning the patio into an obstacle course, unlike the philodendron and ruellia, which have proven to be some of my better mistakes.

This is a great species for the garden because it does not get too tall and it has a wide tolerance for sun or part shade and will tolerate salt better than most Costus. It is native on the Carribean side of Costa Rica and Panama where it grows right up to the edge of the beach in sunny conditions.

Dave Skinner
http://www.gingersrus.com

Downtown Orlando, FL
This is a very good plant for a large container or to the front of a garden bed. Rapid growth begins with warming in early Spring and continues well into Fall. A large cluster with several plants in various stages of flowering adds dramatic accent. Very easily propogated from rhizome division and from stem cuttings and it also produces offsets below the mature bract.

I find bees like to "hang out" on the plants shiny/waxy feeling cones yet I never do see any nests which is not a big deal unless you are allergic. Plant is cold hard to 30ºF/roots are cold hardy to 20ºF.

Moderately drought-tolerant with a medium salt tolerance. A very nice plant that I always get compliments on. Plant offers continuous blooms in tropical weather.