Hellenia Species, Crepe Ginger

I have this growing in a pot in the shade and it is starting to bloom, seems to be fairly drought tolerant as long as its in the shade, a...Read Mores I forget to water it sometimes, and it is still blooming,and never wilts. When I first got this through the mail, it died back, and I kept the rhizome in a pot, and watered occasionally. I periodically moved the soil and checked on it to make sure it was still alive, and it stayed dormant for 8 months! And it seems to naturally know when spring comes, and is not triggered into growth by water, etc. So dont throw yours away if it dies back when you first receive it. Easily propagated by stem cuttings, so if you dig this in the fall for storage, or let frost kill it back, dont waste your cuttings, instead cut the foliage off the bulb, and root in a glass, or jar of water for more plants next year.

When I bought from big local nursery few years ago, it was in bloom. Never-ever bloomed again, don't know why ((( Although other gingers...Read More are blooming like crazy in our garden (East-Central Florida).

I have had my plant for 2 years and finally figured out what makes it do best is keeping it moist in a mix that drains well and regular f...Read Moreeedings( small feedings of l0.l0.l0) is what I used but a water based would work. Its blooms this year have been on it since the middle of June 20l2 and still going strong. Good for butterflies & bees. In my area of South Georgia bees are in short supply so anything that draws pollinators is a good thing. I placed my plant in the ground when I first got it but it apparently stayed too dry even though I watered regularly so last fall I placed it in a large pot and this spring when it came up it wasn't skinny. I wondered if anyone knows how to grow it from seeds or just best to do by cuttings. I think this plant is worth the growing just for the beauty of it.

I really like this ginger. Mine grew to 6 feet tall by the end of the summer and bloomed! II really was not expecting blooms here in NYC ...Read Morefrom a spiral ginger (especially in its first year), but I got some nice October blooms.
In Late Fall I cut it back, dug it out of the ground, and potted it up. It did NOTHING all winter. I thought it was dead. About a month ago I took it out of the pot to see what was going on with the roots and it looked like nothing was growing. I potted it back and hoped for the best. Now just a few days ago I see some growth emerging from the soil and it is now growing fast. Looks like I will have this plant again for another summer!