So far Costus vinosus has been easy to grow for me. It has grown steadily and is an attractive
plant that gets a lot of attention form visitors to my garden. The fat cupped stems lend an
other-worldly, prehistoric look to it.
The wide velvety leaves are luxuriously red on the under side and richly blue green on top.
Why this plant isn’t more widely available I can’t say but every time I gaze
on it in the garden I am amazed at its beauty.
This plant has not bloomed for me yet but I hope to soon see flowers. I will post pictures
of them when it blooms.
This plant is reported to be endangered in the wild and is very difficult to obtain. I am
very lucky to have such a beautiful specimen.
This plant has experience brief temperatures of 45° F without apparent damage. This is in
contrast to some other species of costus which have exhibited damage after exposure to the
same temperature.
The reader should see the culture notes for the environmental accommodations I have made
for this plant.
Date Acquired: 2003-08-20
Culture:
I have not had any difficulty growing this plant. I will share what I have done
to cultivate for those of my readers who want to try. Costus vinosus is in a raised bed, composed of rich soil with sand, decomposed bark, leaves and manure. It shares this bed
with a few other Costaceae and many Kaempferias. It is watered everyday via overhead micro-irrigation
and has never been allowed to dry out. The irrigation is shut off on rainy days.
Costus vinosus is located about ten feet from the trunk a of a mature pecan tree which puts
it in deep shade most of the day and dappled light and bright indirect light at one or two
hours during the day. The plant is never in direct sun. This plant has been n the Gingergarden
since August of 2003 so what notes I have are of 15 months of observation at the time of
this writing.
Being under the pecan tree is perhaps not the best place for it. There is always something
falling out of it and the plant shows the damage. Despite the success in growth, I will relocate
this plant to place where its leaves will have a better chance of staying whole.
Apart from the conditions I created for this plant, one should remember that the Houston
is very humid and days where the humidity is in the mid 90s are common and 100% is not surprising.
Zone: 11
Color: Red
