OkPrairie - are you talking about acidanthera, also referred to as the Peacock orchid? Not a ginger. Does it have sword like foliage? If so, I think it is hardy. I have some in my back yard, but since it's shady it doesn't bloom. I like the foliage anyway, and I really do (really I do) intend to move it to a sunnier location. Can you give me the botanical name. There are 2 or 3 plants that are referred to as the Peacock lily, including a variety of gladiolus. They are kind of like glads and dahlias. Said to be tender bulbs, but they overwinter fine in Oklahoma. However, I wouldn't plant it outside until spring. You might just want to allow the foliage to die back and keep the pot pretty dry until about February and start giving it a little water occasionally then. When growth begins in earnest, start watering, and then plant out after all danger of frost has passed. That will give it the season to establish itself.

I have a white butterfly ginger. The stems get very tall (about 5') and foliage looks kinda like corn. Blooms in late fall - small white flowers that are very fragrant. It is hardy here. The botanical name for gingers is hedychium.

Susan

Kaempferia pulchra - It's like the one pictured in the link, but with broader, variegated leaves. The flowers are the same.

Here is a link that might be useful: peacock ginger

OkPrairie - do you live in Southern part of the state, like in zone 7b? It's a little late to plant one out right now and expect it to put down roots, so I'd try to keep it indoors over the winter and plant out in the spring. If you are daring, you could mulch it really well and see if it will get thru next year's winter. I wonder if anyone else has tried it in the ground in Oklahoma, or a colder zone.

Susan

I was wondering the same thing. I have a Curcuma (Hidden Ginger) variety 'Emporer' that has sword shaped foliage with white edges. I think it's marginally hardy here, but to be on the safe side I potted it. Now what do I do with it? Don't we have any ginger experts around?

I don't think so. Is there a forum for gingers - I thought there was. If not, maybe under tropicals?

Susan

Here is the answer from the ginger forum.

Here is a link that might be useful: answer to ginger question

Okprairie - I saw you found the ginger forum. There are some really nice gingers out there and some of them are hardy in Oklahoma! Don't, please don't, let me get interested in another genus. I'm already going nuts with aroids and with butterfly hosts/nectar plants.

I honestly did not know there are other kinds of gingers other than hedychium. So, I learned something new.

Susan

okprairie, if you don't have much invested in the Ginger, you might try growing it outside in a micro-climate area such as the east or south side of the house. I have beds all around the house and successfully grow plants that are considered z8 and higher such as Persian Shield, Lantana, Mexican Petunias, etc. A micro-climate bed allows for "one or two zones up" from your designated zone.

Here is a link to some good information about the Peacock Ginger...

Here is a link that might be useful: Ginger Peacock

Isn't asarum in the ginger family as well. I know they are hardier than some gingers as well. They are lower growing plants, often used as ground covers, but they have beautiful foliage, and can be grown in partial to shady conditions as well. I have been wanting to try some of these in my shady back yard.

Susan

I've been wondering about microclimates, TulsaRose, because I think I have some pretty good ones. My little yard is very well protected with trees all around. On the south I have a small yard with the neighbor's fence protecting the south side and the house on the north. There is a spot on the southeast corner of the deck that might serve.

Sorry about sparking your interest in another genus, Susan. Those clearance racks always get me in trouble that way.

2cents from the peanut gallery - ex Okie now living and gardening outside Raleigh NC. I grow most types of Kaempferia here as well as Asarum (not related at all to true gingers), Hedychiums, Alpinias and Zingiber (edible gingers).

The Kaempferia that I grow are kept in pots that get sunk into the ground during the spring and lifted after first frost. I store them under the house where I have shop lights strung and set on timers. This keeps them above freezing and moist. Around Christmas time they go dormant and lose their leaves. From that point I don't water them at all until mid April when I pull them out and set them in a sunny/warm corner of the patio. They can take months to emerge - and sometimes when they are small they will not go dormant so you really have to pay attention to them.

You can plant them directly into the ground and then just carefully lift the whole root mass and store in a pot. They hate living in the house as a houseplant (too dry) and they really need the dormancy period to bloom and spread.

Mine like to be mixed in with ferns and hostas.

Thank you, trianglejohn. That helps a lot.