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Costus pulverulentus
Also called Red Cigar
Spiral ginger is a rhizomatous perennial from wet tropical areas of Central and northern South America, grown for its spiral red bracts and large leaves. It needs warmth, humidity and consistently moist soil to thrive.
Costus pulverulentus, the red cigar or spiral ginger (a name it shares with other members of its family), is a species of flowering plant in the family Costaceae. It is native to Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador, and it has been introduced to Cuba and Florida. It is invasive in Hawaii.
A rhizomatous perennial reaching 4 to 6 ft (1.2 to 1.8 m), Costus pulverulentus is typically found in wet tropical areas. It is used as an ornamental, and there are cultivars, including 'Serena', 'Pink Lips', and 'Purple Passion'.
Spiral Ginger · Costus barbatus · Costus chartaceus · Red Tower Ginger · Costus curvibracteatus · Costus erythrophyllus · African Spiral Flag · Costus malortieanus · Red Rose Ginger · Costus productus · Indian Head Ginger · Spiked spiralflag
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Costus pulverulentus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
