Siam Sunrise Ornamental Ginger

Siam Sunrise Ornamental Ginger (Curcuma alismatifolia 'Siam Sunrise') sends up slender 60cm stems topped with pink and white flower spikes that hold for weeks rather than days. It is a tuberous perennial, only about 40cm across, and it performs through the summer wet season before dying back to nothing over winter. Accept that disappearing act and it is one of the easiest tropical plants to keep.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers that last. The colourful bracts stay presentable for many weeks, so a single stem gives far more value than a typical bloom.
• Made for humid heat. Tropical and subtropical summers, the conditions that flatten many flowering perennials, are exactly what it wants.
• Neat in a pot. At 60cm tall and 40cm wide it suits a container on a shaded patio without outgrowing it.
• No winter work. It dies back completely and asks only to be kept dry until the warm weather returns.

Where it works best

Pots and containers. The best use, because a pot lets you control winter moisture and shift the display to wherever it is flowering. One tuber suits a 250mm pot, three fill a 400mm.

Borders and mass planting. Plant 30cm apart for a massed display through the front of a shaded bed. Set it among evergreens so the bare winter patch is not obvious.

Feature planting. A group of five or seven under filtered light beside a path or a pool gives a genuine resort look through the hottest months.

Growing Siam Sunrise ginger in Australia

Position and climate. Part shade or filtered light is ideal; full sun bleaches the bracts and full shade cuts flowering. This is a plant for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens only. It is frost tender, so in cooler southern districts grow it in a pot and keep it under cover through winter.

Soil. Rich, free draining and open, with plenty of compost. Waterlogged ground rots the tubers, which is the single most common way this plant is lost.

Water and feed. Water regularly through the growing season, from the first shoots in spring until the leaves yellow in autumn. Liquid feed fortnightly while it is in growth. Then stop: once dormant it wants no water at all until the shoots return.

Dormancy. Leaves yellow and collapse as the weather cools, which is normal. Cut the spent stems at ground level, keep the tubers dry and sheltered, and growth restarts on its own when the soil warms.

What to expect when it arrives

This ginger is grown here as tube stock. What arrives is a young plant, or in the cooler months a tuber with little top growth, because it follows the seasons rather than the calendar of your order.

Do not be alarmed by a small or leafless plant in autumn and winter: pot it up, keep it barely moist and sheltered, and it will shoot in spring. In warm weather expect flowering in the first or second summer. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to design a tropical garden that holds up all year
• Browse the full tropical plants range
• Compare plants suited to pots and containers
• Choosing the right pot size

Common questions

Why has my plant died back completely?

Because that is what it does. Curcuma is deciduous and goes fully dormant over the cooler months, leaving bare soil. Keep the tubers dry and it will reappear when the soil warms in spring.

How far apart should I plant it?

Thirty centimetres apart for a massed display, which gives a solid block of stems without crowding. In pots, allow one plant per 250mm of pot diameter.

Can I grow it in Melbourne or Adelaide?

In a pot, yes. It is frost tender and needs warmth to flower, so keep it in a sheltered warm position over summer and bring the dormant pot under cover for winter.