Roscoea

Zingiberaceae

Roscoea

They have stalk-less leaves where the lower leaves form a sheath and the upper leaves are long and lanceolate. The flowers are borne on pseudo-stems on the ends of long stalks and resemble orchid flowers. The flowers have three outer petals joined at the base and three inner petals which are actually staminodes formed from stamens. 
 

Uses

Woodland gardens, meadow gardens, alpine gardens, rockeries, container plants.

Culture

They prefer a moist but well-drained soil. Apply an organic mulch. Water in summer but stop watering over winter. Most prefer part shade. They do not usually appear until late spring or early summer and may flower from this time through to autumn.

Propagation

They may be divided in the autumn. Alternatively, grow from seeds sown when ripe. Seeds must not be allowed to dry out. They should flower the following spring to summer. 
 

Cultivars

R. auriculata - a rhizomatous plant to 20-40cm tall from the Himalayan clade. The green leaf blades are up to 20cm long and the sheaths are a purplish colour. The flowers are purple with white staminodes.

R. forrestii - a rhizomatous plant to 17.5-30cm tall from the Chinese clade. The green leaf blades may be slightly hairy and are up to 13cm long. The leaf sheaths are splattered with pink. The flowers are purple or yellow and to 13cm long.

 

Plant Health

There are no pest or disease problems of note.

More info

There are around 20 species of this genus which come from Asia, chiefly from the Himalayas and China. Unlike many other members of the ginger family which come from tropical regions these plants originate in mountainous regions. These plants are often divided into two groups: a Himalayan clade and a Chinese clade.   

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