Anna Pauwlona Ornamental Ginger

Anna Pauwlona Ornamental Ginger (Curcuma alismatifolia 'Anna Pauwlona') is a compact summer-flowering ginger that grows to about 50cm tall and wide. Its tulip-shaped flower bracts shade from shell pink to white with a green rim on every petal, and they hold their colour on the plant for up to two months. It suits sheltered beds, pots and dappled corners.

Why you'll love it

• Soft shell pink and white. The colour runs from pale pink into white, edged in green, a gentler look than the hot pinks of many tropical plants.
• Colour that lasts. Each flower stays decorative on the plant for up to two months, and cut stems have an extended vase life for a tropical touch indoors.
• A long summer show. Flowering runs from December through to April, carrying the garden from early summer well into autumn.
• Small enough for anywhere. At about 50cm by 50cm it fits a pot, a narrow bed or the space beneath taller tropical plants.
• It returns each year. The leaves die back over winter and the plant reshoots from its rhizome as the weather warms.

Where it works best

Tropical style beds. Plant 40cm apart in a sheltered bed with dappled light, such as beneath palms or tall shrubs. At that spacing the clumps knit into a low, flowering drift.

Pots and patios. A wide pot on a bright patio keeps the colour close at hand, and it can come indoors for short periods if you rotate it for even light.

Growing Anna Pauwlona Ornamental Ginger in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, in a sheltered position out of strong wind. This is a plant of the warm tropics, so it is most at home in tropical and subtropical gardens and works as a summer plant in warm temperate ones. In frost-prone districts, grow it in a pot, shield it from frost and keep the dormant rhizome fairly dry through winter.

Soil. Free-draining soil is the main requirement. In a pot, use a good quality potting mix and mulch over the top to hold moisture around the rhizome.

Water and feed. Mulch and water regularly until the plant is established, which takes about 12 weeks, and keep watering through dry periods. Apply a liquid fertiliser as the first new shoots appear.

Pruning. None needed. Plants die back over winter, and the untidy leaves should stay until they are completely brown, because the plant draws their nutrients back into the rhizome for next season.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Anna Pauwlona as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly once planted. It arrives small, puts on leaf first and flowers as the clump fills out in warm weather. Tube stock comes from our grower and is not always available, and this ginger is a seasonal line that comes and goes through the year. When the tube shows as sold out, the grower has none at the moment, and the notify button on the page emails you the day it is back.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full ornamental ginger range
• More tropical plants for warm gardens
• How to design a lush tropical garden
• Plants that thrive in pots

Common questions

Will it come back after winter?

Yes. The leaves die back over winter and the rhizome underground reshoots when the weather warms. Leave the old leaves until they are fully brown, then feed as new shoots appear.

Can I keep it indoors?

Only for short stays. It needs plenty of sunlight, so rotate the pot often and return it to a bright spot outdoors between visits.

Is it suitable for cooler climates?

It needs shelter from both frost and wind. In cooler districts treat it as a potted summer plant and keep it frost free through winter.