new costus additions at SBG

I've noticed a couple of new costus planted at the Ginger Gardens. Some had tags on them, while others didn't. I can't say I recognise any of the names, and I suspect that's because they are probably new hybrids. One in particular was huge as it had really large leaves and thick stems. Even the emerging shoots were thick. I wonder how large/tall they'll end up and how the flower would look like. It could be some form of C. guanaiensis. There was also a spiralling specimen with red hairy stems. Again, I have no idea what it is, but it looks suspiciously like something I have. Then there is the C. Alleni red form which has flowered. Although it grows fairly easily, it is quite slow to flower

Dimerocostus argenteus

Not a lot of information is known about this species. Nevertheless, it is a rarity which any serious collector like myself would want to cultivate.

what is what?

Here are 4 different costuses which look somewhat alike. I am only certain about the IDs of two of the costuses, namely the C. woodsonii (second from left) and the C. spiralis 'Strawberry bud' (third from left). The first and the last remain unknown although I suspect that the first is probably the C. scaber (sold as 'Spicatus' in the nursery trade). The last one has leaves which are quite similar to the C. woodsonii. However, it's far more slender, taller and has a pronounced spiraling effect. The bracts of the two are also rather different, not just in form but also in colour, the C. woodsonii being a lot redder. Based on the searches which I have done on the web, this appears to resembles the C. scaber, although it has a completely different form as compared to the first one.

more of the costus laevis

C. villosissimus and - Costus pulverulentus hybrid?

Chanced upon this on Dave's website. I would really love to get my hands on this divine specimen, even if it means having to travel to Costa Rica. Incidentally, Costa Rica is one of the countries with the highest biodiversity in the world. In fact, it features greater biodiversity than Europe or North American combined. This is largely due to the fact that the country bridges both North and South America, thus enabling plants and animals from both continents and the Antilles to establish themselves there. It's tropical climate and geographical makeup provides for and supports a range of habitats, from lowland rainforests to cloud forests, to tropical lakes and rivers.

a new find

(Updated) Yet another encounter with unidentified costuses at SBG's ginger gardens. The label for the one above read Costus 'orange bud'. The green cone below wasn't labelled but closely resembles the Costus arabicus. However, the distinguishing traits are most noticeable from the cone. This is more slender and it appears more reddish around the bracts whereas the arabicus is generally green with reddish colouration inside the bracts.

costus laevis

The costus laevis has finally bloomed. However, it doesn't look anything like the costus laevis on Dave's website, which is arguably more unique. Still, at least it resembles the one pictured in the supplier's (Heliconia Paradise) website. That's the thing I keep telling people about costuses. There are so many species around, many of which remain either undiscovered or unidentified. And until it flowers, people often find it difficult to distinguish one from the other unless the foliage is particularly distinctive. Anyway, I am happy with this specimen and I am certainly taking comfort in knowing that i've not seen this anywhere in Singapore, not even in the Ginger Gardens.

I got the costus laevis in the form of 2 to 3 rhizomes. It has taken it a year to flower. But in all fairness, I only transplanted it into the ground in November last year and the plant started growing pretty quickly after that. They are now about 2 to 3 metres tall but still shorter than the costus lucanunsianus which is probably about 3 to 4 metres. The other unique trait I noticed is that the flower has a light sweet scent. Quite unusual amongst costuses I have to say.

Costus lucanusianus - Yellow Form

costus scaber

Everyday, as I drive to work and park my car at the Singapore Recreation Club, I would come across this huge patch of costuses growing along Stamford Road, just before the turning into Connaught Drive. Initially, I thought they were the very common Costus woodsonii. But as I got closer and drove past slower every day, I realised that there was something very different about them. So one weekend, I drove down to check them out. As you can see from the photos, they are most definitely not the Costus woodsonii because both the flowers, the foliage and the form are very different. These tended to appear more "shrubby" in appearance because they grew in clumps and were not very tall, probably 3 ft max. I managed to knick a few plantlets to grow them at home.

In my view, it is probably the costus scaber (commonly known in the nursery trade as costus spicatus).

costus pink crepe

costus laevis bud

costus spiralis 'strawberry bud'

This is just an update on the Costus spiralis 'Strawberry Bud' which has started to bloom after being planted in the ground for more than a year. Some costuses take a far longer time to bloom than others!

costus erythrophyllus aff. grey form

Every time I walk my mutts around the Singapore Botanic Gardens, I always make it a point to take them through the ginger gardens. The thing I enjoy most about the ginger gardens is the fact that there is always something new, waiting to be discovered. This is especially so for plants like costuses which tend to look alike. And the fact that most are un-labelled and not all of them bloom frequently adds to the level of excitement especially when you chance upon something you have never seen before.

I have heard of this costus and seen it on the web, but this was the first time I had chanced upon it at the gardens. I probably never paid much attention to it because the specimens were lurking behind a garden bench which was located deep within.

Unlike the typical Costus erythrophyllus form which is commonly found in the horticultural trade and characterised by dark green upper foliage, this little number has a silvery grey tone which contrasts very well with the dark purple undersides. This form also has spiraling stems instead of the stocky straight stems we see in the usual form.

field trip to the SBG's Ginger Gardens