Siam Swift Ornamental Ginger

Siam Swift Ornamental Ginger (Curcuma alismatifolia 'Siam Swift') is a compact tropical ginger, about 50cm tall and wide, that carries pink and purple flower bracts through summer and into autumn. The upper bracts are a clear mid-pink and deepen to purple-pink lower on the stem, while small lavender-purple true flowers peep out between them. It is a plant for sheltered beds and pots in sun to part shade.

Why you'll love it

• Two-tone colour. The bracts are mid-pink at the top and a deeper purple-pink lower down, so every flower spike carries a gradient rather than one flat colour.
• Flowers within flowers. The tulip-like display is made of bracts. The true flowers are small, lavender-purple and orchid-like, and they appear between the bracts along the stem.
• Weeks of colour. The bracts can last up to two months on the plant, so one flush carries a bed or pot for much of the season.
• Compact and portable. At about 50cm by 50cm it suits a pot you can move to the best spot, or a sheltered garden bed.
• It rests and returns. The plant dies back over winter, then shoots again from the rhizome as the weather warms.

Where it works best

Tropical borders. Plant 40cm apart in a sheltered bed with dappled light. The pink-purple bracts stand out against broad green foliage and dark mulch.

Containers. A wide bowl holds several plants for a fuller display. Potted plants can come indoors for short periods, so rotate them to even up the light.

Growing Siam Swift Ornamental Ginger in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, in a sheltered spot out of the wind. It comes from Cambodia, Thailand (once called Siam) and Vietnam, so it enjoys warmth and does best in tropical and subtropical gardens, and as a summer plant in warm temperate ones. Frost will damage it, so in colder districts grow it in a pot and keep it under cover through winter.

Soil. Free-draining soil is the key. Mulch over the top to hold moisture, and in a pot use a good quality potting mix that drains freely.

Water and feed. Mulch and water regularly until the plant is established, usually around 12 weeks, and water regularly during dry periods. Feed with a liquid fertiliser at the first sign of new shoots in the warmer months.

Pruning. No pruning is needed. Let the leaves die back in winter and remove them only when completely brown, so the nutrients draw back into the rhizome ready for next season.

What to expect when it arrives

Siam Swift is sold as tube stock, a young plant in an 80mm deep tube that establishes quickly. Expect a small, leafy plant that bulks up through the warm months, with bracts appearing once the clump has some size. Our tube stock comes from our grower and is not always available. If the tube shows as sold out, the grower has none right now, and the notify button on the page emails you the day it is back. In cooler districts, plant out after the last frost.

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

• Compare other ornamental gingers
• Plants for subtropical climates
• Designing a tropical garden that looks lush all year
• More plants for partial shade

Common questions

Are the pink parts the actual flowers?

The showy tulip-shaped parts are bracts, which are modified leaves. The true flowers are the small lavender-purple blooms between them. Both are part of the display, and the bracts are the long lasting part.

When does it flower?

From summer into autumn. The bracts can last up to two months on the plant, and then it dies back for winter.

What do I do over winter?

Let it die back. Keep frost off the pot or ground, leave the leaves until they are completely brown, and apply liquid fertiliser when the new shoots appear.