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Roscoea forrestii is a hardy perennial ginger from the mountains of southwest China, grown in rock gardens and cool borders. It dies back to tuberous roots each year and appears late in spring, so it needs a sunny spot with moist but well-drained soil.
Roscoea forrestii is a perennial herbaceous plant occurring in the Sichuan and Yunnan provinces of China. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. forrestii, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in gardens. It was named after George Forrest (1873–1932) who discovered it in Yunnan.
Some Roscoea species and cultivars, including R. forrestii, are grown in rock gardens. They generally require a relatively sunny position with moisture-retaining but well-drained soil. As they do not appear above ground until late spring or even early summer, they escape frost damage in regions where subzero temperatures occur. R. forrestii was described in 1999 as "dwindling" when grown at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, as it required more moisture.
R. forrestii was included in a trial of Roscoea held by the Royal Horticultural Society from 2009 to 2011. It proved hardy (rating H4, i.e. hardy anywhere in the British Isles). It grew successfully in the trial and was given the Award of Garden Merit. It still holds the award.
Roscoea forrestii occurs in a variety of habitats, such as among shrubs and on cliffs, at between 2,000 and 3,400 metres. It is found in China, in south Sichuan and west Yunnan.
Roscoea auriculata · Roscoea cautleoides · Roscoea humeana · Kakoli Ginger · Roscoea wardii
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Roscoea forrestii 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.
