Hi hoosierbob. Yes - I'm very interested! Your email is disabled, so I couldn't reply back to you via email. Can you turn your email on, or send me an email with your reply to address? Very impressive that you have 20 kinds of hedychium! I've only got 2 kinds of hedychiums, but plenty of each to trade. Kind of common, so you might have them already. hedychium 'Disney' hedychium coronarium Other kinds of ginger I'm growing that I have at least enough of each for a small offset: curcuma zedoaria curcuma 'Panama Purple' Zingberger zerumbet zingberger neglectum curcuma alismatifolia 'siam scarlet' alpinia purpurata 'Dwarf Red' And not a ginger techically, but similar in appearance: Dichorisandra thyrsiflora (blue ginger) Looking at your page, it says you grow bromeliads too. I also have offsets of few types: Neoregelia 'Martin' Aechmea gamosepala Portea petropolitana extensa Neoregelia 'Bossa Nova' Let me know if any of those are on your want list, otherwise I'm more than happy to pay postage. Angela

Don't know the species of Khmer Orange, and there are some other forms that I'd bet are all the same species. Curcuma are very poorly known as there are several unid'ed things out there, and not many taxonomists working on them. those that are know that this is one confusing genus to work with!! C. gracillima and C. rhabdota are two valid species, however I don't think anyone is growing the real C. gracillima (it ain't much though anyway). C. rhabdota is what is being called candy cane and its other forms/names burnt burgundy, violet, zebra, chocolate zebra etc etc etc. Maroon Curcuma, have to see that for sure, but the ones i've seen labeled as maroon are usually forms of C. attenuata which is extremely variable. There is a species similar to C. aurantiaca (not sure what it really is) that can have a lot of bright orange in it. It hybridizes and there are some good hybrids coming out with lots of orange and different colored tops. They of course are much easier to grow than C. roscoeana. If you've seen the thai curcuma book, there is a solid red hybrid in there that has major potential.. kinda has a roscoena/cordata like form. I finally have the red parent that was used and hope to recreate this beauty. Most breeders are focusing on C. alismatifolia type crosses, fortunately there are some good people working on other types. Tim Chapman Tim Chapman

Not that they're a rare plant in some parts of the country most lkely, but I was almost azazed to see some potted curcumas in a local Krogers store some years ago, and much tempted to try them. I'd add that growing dependable flowering gingers in the north can be difficult at best if relying only on our short summer outdoors, since they may take many months from the time the new flowering shoots arise to the time when they're big enough to flower. I do keep my big Costus barbatus growing yearound in containers, but even then no flowers since the first mature shoot flowered several years ago indoors during the winter. I would guess those that have natural dormant periods would be easier to bloom if planted outdoors in the summer, but have no idea of the time they require from planting to blooming. I must add, if it were not for the fact that someone gave me a very old gardening book about growing all kinds of hardy and tropical bulbs years ago, I would have guessed that just planting dormant rhizomes outdoors for the summer would easily provide blooms before the short season was over, but I'd guess not. Any other northern gardeners tried them from the dormant rhizomes, and did they rebloom reliably?

I got mine from Chris at the following website. He does not have any now, but will have several different kinds in the spring. His is honest, has great products, and gets them straight from the orient. He often gets unusual ones. Like the candy cane one , or like the blue moon siam tulip. His prices are great. If you will send him an email to let you know when he is going to get them, he will. Here is a link that might be useful: buried-treasure.net