Featuring "things"
that you WILL want to see out at
VCMGA's Victoria Educational Gardens...
You must see the Hidden Ginger by the Koi Pond at VEG. They were in full bloom on May 05, 2010
As you will notice, the flowers do emerge before the foliage. You can imagine the elation on May 5th, when we found that the Curcuma, which has frozen back completely in the winter, had re-emerged with new vigor the next spring. As any gardener, we are never "sure" until we see WHAT comes back after hard freezes.
The beautiful foliage on this cultivar has a beautiful red midvein. The bright pink is a popular color of curcuma, but there are also varieties which are burgundy, orange, and various other shades.
***After further study, research has led me to believe that the Hidden Ginger at VEG is actually Curcuma elata, which is very similar to Curcuma petiolata. The major difference is that Curcuma elata has its flower emerge first, and then the leaves, while Curcuma petiolata has the foliage emerge in spring and then blooms later in the summer.