The top one looks like Curcuma Petiolata but can't be sure. The bottom one is Curcuma Alismatifolia and it looks like you have both the white and pink varieties together. I have both of these gingers and they get morning sun, shade during the hottest part of the day, and more afternoon sun. I'm in coastal southwest Louisiana and not much here can take our full sun even if the description of the plant says it can. It would be the same for you in your locale.

Steve

Thanks Steve for the information. I really appreciate it. Things do fry here in direct sun, especially during the summer. I bought the white and pink Alismatifolias in three different pots. Two are in our screened in porch off the kitchen on the east side of our cottage, so they get morning sun only. The other Alismatifolia and the Petiolata both in larger pots are in a semi-shaded grotto area. These are in pots for now. Can they stay in pots? Do you feed them anything in particular?

FlowerLady ~ where it's still hot and humid, with only hints of fall in the air. : -(

The Petiolata flowers better planted. I've flowered the Alismatifolia in pots frequently. Both have been in the ground for several years now for me. They multiply quite well and are very attractive in mass plantings. In pots, I used Peters 20-20-20 water soluble fertilizer, 1 T per gallon of water. I fertilized once a week and watered at least once more during the week but more if needed. I cut off the fertilizer in the fall as both of these gingers go dormant for me in my zone and I would water only sparingly if you intend to keep them in pots.

Steve

The first one looks more like C. cordata to me, but without seeing the whole inflorescence I can't be 100% sure. We grow both cordata and alismatifolia in pots. They're getting full sun, but would probabaly be happier in partial shade. The size pot for the cordata depends on the size of the tuber, I put the smaller ones in 6" and the larger ones in 1 gallon, but if they're going to stay in there very long without division a bigger pot would be better. They both bloom well for us in pots, though. They get a handful of balanced slow-release fertilizer (Nutricote) at the beginning of the growing season, and maybe a second application if they start looking yellowish much before their dormancy. No point in fertilizing right before they go down for the winter.

Curcumas go dormant in every zone, I don't think there's any way to prevent that, and you don't really want to prevent it anyway since the plant needs that time to rest and get ready for the next cycle. However, if you miss a watering towards the latter part of the year, the plant will take that as a signal to go dormant before it otherwise would, so it's very important to keep it well-watered up until it starts to shut down on its own. We have to water ours every day when the weather is hot and dry, but if it's in a more protected spot you probably won't need to do it quite so often.

I agree with Lisaclv, it could be Cordata. I have this one also in the ground but in my zone, it blooms in the spring while Petiolata blooms in the late summer to early fall. My zone conditions are closer to yours than Lisa's but we need to see more of the bloom and the height it finally reaches. But whatever it is, all Curcumas are very nice and some of my favorites.

Steve

I used to grow my Curcuma alismatifolia varieties in light shade or part sun and they failed miserably for me, declining over a few years and never really producing a lot of flowers. Then I went to the ginger symposium in Thailand a few years ago and we visited the Phu Phan National Park there. I was amazed to see them in their natural habitat in a grassy field in FULL SUN! Unfortunately for me, I do not have any truly full sun areas in my garden so I can't grow them that way.

The area in Northern Thailand has a very distinct dry season which seems to be necessary in cultivation, since this species of Curcuma rhizomes rot very easily during dormancy. Then in the rainy season they were on a slight slope in full sun with constant moisture.

I have some photos of them on my website at the link shown below and at
http://www.gingersrus.com/images/thumbnail.php?columns=4&Folder=Curcuma%20-%20species%20A-F

Dave Skinner
www.gingersrus.com

Here is a link that might be useful: Curcuma alismatifolia at Phu Phan Natl Park, Thailand