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Introduction to CurcumaTo get a bold-textured tr opical look in a warm temperate garden, there is a short list of perennials that fit the bill. One of my favorites is the little-known but amazing genus Curcuma . Curcuma, or hidden cone gingers, is a genus of mostly tropical plants known fo r their dramatic bold foliage and flamboyant floral show. Curcuma can range in h eight from just under 2' to over 7' tall. The slightly hidden flowers resemble p sychedelic pinecones...a nice trip back to the 1960s. We urge our readers to vis it the garden on our Open House Days in summer and fall to see our curcuma colle

ction. One of the reasons that curcumas have never reached a high level of popul arity is that they haven't begun to sprout during the spring garden center seaso n, but because of this, they can be interplanted with spring bulbs such as daffo dils, which go dormant before curcumas emerge. Curcumas are plants that you must purchase as a leap of faith, then sit back and enjoy later in your garden. Hist ory of Ethnobotanical and Economic usesCultivated for more than 4000 years, curc uma rhizomes have been a source of food, spice, and medicine, Curcuma longa rhiz omes are dried and ground into the spice turmeric which gives curry powder its d istinct color and odor. The spice has several purported medicinal uses including lowering blood pressure, slowing down Alzheimer's disease, and relieving pain. The rhizome is also a source of a dark yellow dye used in cosmetics and food col oring. Curcuma amada rhizomes are eaten fresh and used as both anti-inflammatory medicines and contraceptives. Curcuma zedoaria rhizomes are eaten as a spicy, b ut bitter vegetable, and are also used to combat flatulence...move over Beano! Oil s from Curcuma are used in perfumes and, of course, many curcumas are grown as c ut flowers. As gardeners discover that many of the species are winter hardy, the re is tremendous growth potential in this market as well. MorphologyCurcuma is a deciduous herbaceous perennial with thick, fleshy, branched rhizomes. Their "st ems" are not true stems, but actually pseudostems, because they are composed of long, succulent, interlocked leaf petioles from which the leaves arise. Pseudost ems with clasping leaves are common in this group of plants and can also be seen in both canna and bananas. All the genera in the family Zingiberaceae have food storage rhizomes with a "gingery" or "lemony" scent. The leaves, which are simi lar to a canna, can be solid green, variegated, or have a red central blotch. Cu rcuma have flower spikes that arise from the top of the pseudostem or sometimes on a separate stem directly from the rhizome. Flowering may occur early in the g rowing season, just before the leaves unfurl or along with them late in the grow ing season, depending on the species. The bracts near the top of the spike are c olorful and showy, but do not have florets. The florets are held lower down on t he spike amongst less-showy bracts. Like poinsettias, the actual flowers are not the featured attraction. The florets are white, yellow, pink or orange in color and the bracts can be a variety of colors including white, pink, yellow, green, burgundy, or multicolored. The overall effect is that of a technicolored pineco ne. Curcumas need heat to trigger flowering and thus do well in warm climates su ch as the Southeast US. In mild climates (like Great Britain) Curcuma may grow w ell but never bloom. Although Curcuma come from warm parts of the world, they go through a dormant period in which the plants die back to the rhizome and then a re slow to re-emerge in the spring. Many gardeners assume that they have lost th eir plants but are relieved to see them finally emerge in June and July when the soil temperatures heat up.Taxonomy Curcuma belong to the ginger family Zingiber aceae, which includes many useful herbs and ornamental plants. The spice, ginger (from Zingiber officinalis), is the best known and most widely used. Important ornamental cousins include Alpinia (Shell Ginger), and Kaempferia (torch-ginger) . The gingers are more distantly related to other common ornamental plants such as Musa (bananas), Heliconia, Canna, and Maranta. All Zingiberaceae share a comm on trait in that their flowers produce just one true stamen. The genus Curcuma c onsists of between 80 and 117 species of medium-sized plants. Their center of di versity is in southeast Asia, but some species extend to the Himalayas, Southern China, Australia and the Pacific Islands. The name Curcuma was coined by Carl L innaeus and refers to the Arabic word "kurkum" which is their name for the yello wish color of the root. Curcuma are commonly known by a number of common names, including turmeric, Indian saffron, Siam tulip, zedoary, and hidden lily. The fi rst two names refer to its use as a spice and the name "hidden lily" refers to t he fact that some species have short inflorescences that are obscured by the lea ves. CultureIn their native habitats, Curcuma emerge during the monsoon season a nd are triggered to become dormant by dry weather. This roughly corresponds to t he winter/summer cycle in temperate gardens. Ginger expert, Tony Schilling, says "treat them to monsoon conditions - warm, wet and well fed in the summer, and c ool and dry in the winter." If you let your Curcuma get too dry, they will lose their leaves and stop flowering. Moist, but well-drained, organically-rich, slig

htly acidic soils produce the best flowering. Curcuma prefer sun for at least a couple of hours, but most species will also do fine in high, open shade.We have also found that curcumas will perform best if lifted and divided every 5 years i n order to maintain their vigor. In doing so, keep in mind that if you divide th e plants when they are too small, they may not flower for a couple of years. At a minimum, leave 3-5 eyes (the creamy pointy things) per division, but more is b etter. Dividing is best done in spring or summer. When re-planting, place the rh izomes 4-6" below the surface to give them some cold protection, although the rh izomes will eventually grow to the depth that best suits them. After frost kills the tops, you may cut back the stems and compost them or leave them alone and t he stems will detach from the rhizomes naturally. In climates where the curcumas aren't winter hardy, lift and store the rhizomes inside in a box of sawdust or peat moss (to prevent desiccation) where the temperatures stay above freezing. C urcuma also make great potted plants, however, gardeners will need to re-pot the plants often because the thick rhizomes quickly grow large enough to split open a pot. Potted specimens require lots of water (daily or even more frequently) w hen they are active and root-bound. Pests and Diseases (Ginger ailments)Luckily, Curcuma are not bothered by many pests, with slugs and snails being the worst.. .especially on the unfurling leaves. In containers or in a soil that is too dry, mealy bugs and spider mites may become a problem. In old plantings, a fungal di sease called mushroom root rot may occur. The first symptom is the browning and loss of the top few leaves on the stem. If you cut open a rhizome and find brown flesh with white specks your plant probably has root rot. Cut off all of the in fected parts of the rhizome, dust the remaining healthy parts with sulfur powder and replant in a new location. Propagation Most curcumas are sterile, leading t o the current assumption that most plants in the trade are hybrids, so don't exp ect to see any seed unless you have access to wild collected species. In the wil d, specific curcuma pollinators are also present that are not present in the tem perate garden. Thus curcuma will not set seed in the garden unless you hand poll inate them during the summer. If you manage to actually get seed, they are relat ively easy to germinate. Seed should be collected as the seed pods open in the l ate fall and must be surface sown (don't cover) immediately. The seed may take s everal months of warm temperatures to germinate. Species, Cultivars, and Hybrids Below is a list of some of the interesting species and cultivars that have been successful at Plant Delights Nursery and Juniper Level Botanic Gardens. There ar e many more possibilities available for gardeners from Zone 8b and south. Recent genetic work in curcumas is showing that many of the plants which we think of a s species are actually ancient sterile hybrids...that work continues while we st rive to find species that tolerate our central North Carolina climate (Hardiness Zone 7b, 35N latitude).Curcuma elata (Spring Hidden Cone Ginger) has stood out in our trials as one of the finest cold-climate garden specimens in the genus Curc uma. The huge, bold-textured, canna-shaped green leaves compose the giant 6' tal l clump. For us, this is the earliest curcuma to flower, mid-June in NC, when th e 1' tall pinecone-like spikes sprout from the base of the plant. Each flower sp ike is topped with bright pink bracts which serve as mini-umbrellas for the yell ow flowers that poke from the side of the cone below. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10 at l east)Curcuma longa (Turmeric) (syn. Curcuma domestica) is one of the toughest cu rcumas that we grow. The 3' tall pleated green leaves are adorned, starting in e arly September, with colorful pinecones that are nestled among the leaves. (Hard iness Zone 7b-11)Curcuma myanmarensis (Burma Pink Hidden Cone Ginger) (aka: Smit hatris myanmarensis) is an amazingly hardy and floriferous hidden cone ginger. C urcuma myanmarensis hails from Burma (Myanmar), where it forms slowly multiplyin g clumps in the moist woodlands. In the garden, the central stalk is adorned by two light green leaves, then topped by a terminal 18" tall stalk that ends in a short pink torch. Curcuma myanmarensis is the longest flowering ginger that we g row, with flower stalks being produced from late spring into October (NC). Curcu ma myanmarensis is an easy-to-grow sister to the more difficult and less hardy C urcuma alismatifolia. We recommend planting at least 6" deep if your soils are p rone to freezing in the winter. (Hardiness Zone 8-10 guessing)Curcuma ornata (Or nate Hidden Cone Ginger) has a tropical appearance in the border or in a color b

owl. It's hard to beat this Asian species, which resembles Curcuma zedoaria, exc ept that the leaf is much larger: 28" long and 8" wide. Each textured green leaf has the same fabulous reddish purple stripe down the center. In addition to the larger leaves and larger stature of the clump, Curcuma ornata has a reddish pur ple cast to the lower stem. The hidden pinecone-like flowers of light pink are a ttractive for nearly a month in June. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10 guessing)Curcuma pet iolata (Hidden Cone Ginger) has large, tropical looking leaves (10" long by 6" w ide) that form a 3' tall clump. The foliage grows out of a short underground rhi zome, making an upward growing small clump. The flowers resemble purple pinecone s and are formed in the middle of the clump from mid-to late summer. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10 guessing)Curcuma petiolata 'Emperor' (Striped Hidden Cone Ginger) Thi s Tim Chapman introduction from Thailand makes an easy-to-grow, 2' tall by 2' wi de clump of pleated green leaves (18" long by 6" wide), each with a dramatic whi te border. This is the only known variegated curcuma. In early summer, you will enjoy the pinecone-like flower of purple and green at the base, and for the rest of the growing season you will adore the tropical foliage. It has survived 0 de grees F in our garden with no protection, but in colder climates it makes a grea t house plant. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10)Curcuma zedoaria (Hidden Cone Ginger) is a spectacular ginger that garners all the attention from our visitors...especially since it has survived 0 degrees F in our garden. The large, tropical-looking gr een leaves (2' long by 5" wide) have a dramatic, wide, purple-red stripe down th eir centers. As the leaves emerge, so do the flowers, resembling oversized '60s psychedelic red-and-yellow pinecones on 1' scapes. Each plant makes a clump to 3 ' (taller in warmer climates) by 2-3' wide. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10)Curcuma zedoar ia 'Bicolor Wonder' (Bicolor Hidden Cone Ginger) was selected for its attractive bicolor flowering bracts...solid white except for purple fingernail-sized tips on the end of each bract. The 6' tall, bold, aspidistra-like foliage, with a mar oon stripe down the leaf center, emerges in mid-June alongside the pinecone-like inflorescence. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10)Curcuma zedoaria 'Pink Wonder' (Pink Wonde r Hidden Cone Ginger) The foliage of this selection resembles a fancy aspidistra on steroids...6' tall green leaves with a central burgundy stripe. The flowers on this selection emerge like pinecones on separate 1' tall stems alongside the foliage. Curcuma 'Pink Wonder' was selected for inflorescences that are white at the base and bright pink on the top. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10)Curcuma zedoaria 'Wh ite Wonder' (White Wonder Hidden Cone Ginger) The 5' tall pleated green leaves, without the maroon stripe are adorned in fall with pure white "cones". (Hardines s Zone 7b-10)HybridsCurcuma 'Pink Plush' (Pink Plush Hidden Cone Ginger) This is a wonderful Tom Wood hybrid. The 30" tall clump is composed of long green leave s, each highlighted by a central purple stripe. The clumps are adorned with 1' t all stalks of lovely pink pinecone-like flowers from late August into October. S o far, this has survived 8 degrees F with no protection. (Hardiness Zone 8-11)Cu rcuma 'Sulee Sunshine' (Sulee Sunshine Hidden Cone Ginger) is a hybrid from Thai land breeder Annop Ongsakul. Developed for the tropical cut flower market, Curcu ma 'Sulee Sunshine' has come through two mild winters (15F) in our garden. This sp lendid selection flowers for us from August through October with 9" stalks, topp ed with long-lasting 8" flower "cones," dipped in pink and yellow. As a backgrou nd, the 18" long by 8" wide pleated green leaves naturally fold away from the fl owers unlike many of the other curcumas. (Hardiness Zone 8-10 at least)Curcuma ' Summer Snow' (Hidden Cone Ginger) The green leaves only reach 3' in height, ador ned by the cone-shaped flowers which are nestled about 2' off the ground in Sept ember. (Hardiness Zone 7b-10)