skip to main content
Get Ideas
Photos
Stories
Discussions
Houzz TV
Houzz Research
Shop Products
    Shop Curated Bathroom Vanities
Looking for the perfect gift? Send a Houzz Gift Card!
Outdoor Sale Sale
ON SALE - UP TO 75% OFF
Shop Promo Banner
Sign In
Join as a Pro
Houzz Pro: One simple solution for contractors and design pros
Join as a Pro
Houzz Logo Print
Explore DiscussionsFeatured Home DiscussionsFeatured Garden Discussions
Gingers
fernaly

zingeber zerumbet

fernaly
18 years ago

I have the solid green foliage zingiber zerumbet 'shampoo ginger' and the variegated 'darcyi'. I bought them both last year and they are planted in the same area. The soild green is growing like gang busters, this is the second year for blooms. Darcyi on the other hand is lagging way behind. It did not bloom last summer and it is barely out of the ground now, maybe six to eight inches high.

I bought the solid zz from Buried Treasures and the rhizomes were large and healthy, I bought Darcyi from a seller on ebay and almost cried at the sight of the tiny little thing sent to me. It was advertised as a large plant growing in a gallon pot. What a joke!!

My question is; I live is zone 7b, I know that they should be okay here but as small as the darcyi was and obviously still is, I am wondering if I should dig the darcyi and pot it up for a year or so or just leave it be and hope that it survives another winter?

Comments (5)

  • bihai
    18 years ago

    Zingiber darcyii is just not as large and robust a plant as the non-variegated form. PERIOD. Its rhizomes are NATURALLY much smaller than that of the non-variegated form, and it has a shorter period of "being up". Mine is later to break doemancy and earlier to go back into dormancy (every year) than the non-variegated, it spreads MUCH MORE SLOWLY, and is later to bloom. I have also found that once you dig it up (to relocate it or whatnot) it takes a long time to recover and many times will NOT bloom that season. It took mine several years to get going at all. Overall, I don't really recommend it to people to grow. DOn't blame your eBay seller, blame the natural characteristics of this plant.

  • fernaly
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks Bihai, I can always count on you for good information. I will leave it alone and let it spread it's little roots as it wants. By tiny little thing, I mean it was just a bit bigger than a quater. Is that normal size?

    By the way, the purple globba I bought from you last season is doing great. It's blooming it's self silly.

  • Related Professionals

    Ashburn Landscape Contractors · Belvedere Park Landscape Contractors · Bridgeport Landscape Contractors · Columbine Landscape Contractors · Framingham Landscape Contractors · Hurricane Landscape Contractors · Medford Landscape Contractors · Paso Robles Landscape Contractors · Ringwood Landscape Contractors · Snoqualmie Landscape Contractors · New Carrollton Landscape Contractors · Golden Valley Landscape Contractors · Austin Roofing & Gutters · Franklin Roofing & Gutters · Oklahoma City Roofing & Gutters
  • bihai
    18 years ago

    I am so happy! I love that Globba. Mine are going great guns as well, so are the Yellow Dancing Ladies and the White Dancing Dragons!

    Well, maybe the size of a QUARTER is a bit small, but, I planted a Darcyii in my greenhouse a little over 2 years ago (don't ask me why I wasted greenhouse space on it, its hardy here) and wised up and decided to take it out and plant it outside with the rest of the Darcyii, and when I dug it up, the tuber was only about 3" long and it was OVER 2 years old! It was a plant I had brought over from the old house when it was dormant in its pot.

    I don't know if its just the "variegated" aspect of this plant or not. I find the same thing with the 2 different forms of COstus amazonicus....the green form is one of the hardiest gingers in my yard, second only maybe to the ALpinia zerumbet non-variegated. But the variegated form of Costus amazonicus is a LOT less hardy, much more finicky!

  • fernaly
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    I love ALL Globba but, this one is turning into my favorite.

    Okay, Okay, you have convinced me. I won't think bad thoughts about the ebay seller that I got my Darcyii from. That will be easy for me, since I don't really remember who I bought it from. I'm still gonna be bummed about no pinecones.

    It is my opinion that most variegated forms of all plants are a little less robust than the solid green forms. The exception to this for me is, my Curcuma Emperor, it is twice as big as my solid green form and has twice as many blooms.

    Since you live so close, will you be at Tom Wood's Ginger Open House? If it is not cancelled due to Katrina, I hope to be there on Saturday morning.

  • sharonkg
    18 years ago

    I bought my 'shampoo ginger' from home depot this year. It took forever to come up. Now there are at least four stems per plant. They are tall and green but no sign of blooms. It has been very hot this year 90-100. and they had 4 inches of rain last week . I don't understand what the problem is?

0
Sponsored