Praying Mantis Ginger

Praying Mantis Ginger (Larsenianthus careyanus) is a clumping ginger with a flower unlike anything else: small white blooms on curved orange to red bracts that hook forward like an insect at rest. It forms an upright clump about 2m tall and 1m wide, filling the middle layer of a tropical planting without spreading through it.

Why you'll love it

• A flower nobody else has. The curved orange to red bracts and white flowers are genuinely unusual, and they hold for weeks rather than days.
• Clumping, not running. It builds outward slowly from a crown instead of colonising a bed the way some gingers do.
• Fast to fill in. A young plant makes a presentable clump in its first full warm season.
• It likes wet ground. Wet feet tolerant and humidity tolerant, a rare answer for a damp shaded corner that stays soggy after rain.

Where it works best

Feature planting. Site a clump where the flowers are seen up close, beside a path or a deck, because the bract detail is lost from a distance.

Mass planting and borders. Plant 80cm apart and the foliage closes into a continuous band at about 2m, a soft backdrop or a low informal divider.

Pots and containers. A 400mm or larger pot holds a clump for several years, and lets southern gardeners move it under cover in winter.

Growing Praying Mantis Ginger in Australia

Position and climate. Dappled shade to morning sun, matching the forest understorey it comes from in north east India and Bangladesh. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, and it is frost tender, so cold inland and southern gardens need it potted under shelter over winter.

Soil. Rich and moisture retentive with plenty of compost worked through. It tolerates damp ground, though a container still needs a drainage hole and a mix that does not turn to sludge.

Water and feed. Keep the soil consistently moist and never let a potted plant dry out. Slow release fertiliser in early spring, then liquid feeds every few weeks through summer for the strongest flowering.

Pruning. Cut spent stems to the base after flowering. In cooler gardens the clump dies back over winter, so cut old growth to ground level and mulch the crown until it reshoots as the soil warms.

What to expect when it arrives

Grown in 175mm pots, sold in packs of six, which is the practical way to buy it since six make a proper drift. Each arrives as an established young clump with several shoots and a developed rhizome.

Ginger foliage bruises easily in transit, so a marked or folded leaf is normal rather than a fault. Expect the clump to bulk up within one warm season. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Designing a tropical garden that looks lush all year
• Compare tropical plants
• Browse plants for partial shade
• Exotic and rare plants for collectors

Common questions

Will it survive a cold winter?

It is frost tender, so in cool gardens the top growth dies back over winter. In a frost free subtropical or tropical garden it holds its foliage year round. Anywhere colder, keep it in a pot that can move under cover.

Does it spread and become a nuisance?

No. It is a clumping ginger that expands slowly from the crown rather than running underground, so it stays in the space you allow it and is easy to divide.

How much sun can it take?

Morning sun with afternoon shade suits it best. Hot afternoon sun bleaches and scorches the leaves, while deep shade gives plenty of foliage and few flowers.