Blue Ginger, Blue Bamboo (Dichorisandra thyrsiflora)

22/05/2012

Blue Ginger, sometimes also called Blue Bamboo or Brasilian Ginger, is an absolute missleading name for the tropical plant Dichorisandra thyrsiflora J.C. Mikan 1820, as the small shrub or forb is neither related to the ginger family (Zingiberaceae) nor to bamboo (Poaceae family).


I would have bet on, that the small plant with its cute, striking blue flowers belongs to the Costus genus. The leaves and stems look like a Costus, but that`s wrong. The blue ginger is a relative to the wandering Jew plant, how 3 species of the spiderwort genus (Tradescantia) are called. The only thing what the Blue Ginger has in common with ginger is, that it grows from a rhizome. Dichorisandra thyrsiflora plants can reach a height up to about 1,50 meters. Flowering period: late spring - autumn. The Blue Ginger is native to Central- and South America with its largest distribution area in Brazil. It`s quite remarkable for a tropical plant, that Dichorisandra thyrsiflora plants are quite hardy and tolerate light frost. The plant is best cultivated in a semi-shade, slightly humid place.




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Image: Blue Ginger, Blue Bamboo (Dichorisandra thyrsiflora)

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