| The Gingers R Us shopping cart is closed for the summer. Please check back again in September 2010.Some Costus spiral gingers - my specialty - might be available on special request. For information contact me at dave@gingersrus.com. |
 Photo# 3441 taken 18 June, 2000 by Dave Skinner at New Orleans Botanical Garden - Kaempferia galanga |
 Photo# 3439 taken 23 July, 2000 by Dave Skinner at Fairchild Tropical Gardens, Miami, FL - Kaempferia galanga |
 Photo# 3440 taken 23 July, 2000 by Dave Skinner at Fairchild Tropical Gardens, Miami, FL - Kaempferia galanga |
 Photo# 3438 taken 29 July, 2000 by Dave Skinner at Le Jardin Ombragé - Kaempferia galanga |
 Photo# 5965 taken 25 July, 2001 by Dave Skinner at Le Jardin Ombragé - Kaempferia galanga |
 Photo# 949 taken 12 November, 2001 by Dave Skinner at Le Jardin Ombragé Rhizomes of - Kaempferia galanga |
 Photo# 6404 taken 13 February, 2002 by Dave Skinner at US Bot. Garden Conservatory, Washington, DC - Kaempferia galanga |
 Photo# 6853 taken 21 July, 2002 by Dave Skinner at Le Jardin Ombragé - Kaempferia galanga |
 Photo# 6854 taken 21 July, 2002 by Dave Skinner at Le Jardin Ombragé - Kaempferia galanga |
 Photo# 8262 taken 20 July, 2003 by Dave Skinner at Le Jardin Ombragé - Kaempferia galanga |
 Photo# 8337 taken 20 July, 2003 by Dave Skinner at Le Jardin Ombragé - Kaempferia galanga |
 Photo# 9258 taken 25 September, 2003 by Dave Skinner at Le Jardin Ombragé - Kaempferia galanga |
 Photo# 9260 taken 25 September, 2003 by Dave Skinner at Le Jardin Ombragé - Kaempferia galanga |
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BUY THIS PLANT from GingersRus. PLANT FAMILY: Zingiberaceae BOTANICAL NAME: Kaempferia galanga TYPE PLANT: perennial - HEIGHT: 1 inch (inches unless otherwise noted) - HABIT: - USES: BLOOMING: Season- Colors- Fragrance-no Profusion- USDA ZONES: 8 to HEAT TOLERANCE:- SOIL: Moisture- Fertility- pH- COMMON NAMES: Chinese ginger, Chinese key, fingerroot, SYNONYMS: GINGERSRUS CATALOG LISTING: Kaempferia galanga is sometimes called Chinese gingers or Chinese keys, but more often known as "fingerroot". It is used in Thailand as a spice that is derived from the oils of the rhizome or grated like the common ginger, Zingiber officinale. The rhizome and tubers are also used medicinally in Southeast Asia. As an ornamental, it makes an interesting groundcover, with leathery solid green leaves that lie absolutely flat to the ground, in some forms, or maybe an inch or two high at the most. The flowers are small and somewhat inconspicuous but absolutely beautiful up close, somewhat orchid-like in contrast to the phlox-like flowers of some of the other Kaempferias. References indicate it is hardy in zone 8 or zone 8b at least. It will go completely dormant in late fall, even in the tropics where it is native. During dormancy care should be taken not to keep the soil too wet, but during the growing season it should be grown in well drained woodland soil kept regularly watered, and mild applications of fertilizer might be needed if the soil is low in nitrogen.  BOTANICAL NOTES: TAXONOMY NOTES BY BRIAN MIDDLEDITCH - Kaempferia galanga L.: OK Described in Flora of China, Vol. 24 (Flagellariaceae-Marantaceae). Science Press & Missouri Botanical Garden. The Study of Zingiberaceae in Thailand, by Puangpen Sirirugsa - Kaempferia galanga L. Distinguished characters.- Small herb. Leaves flat on ground. Flower white with a purple spot at the center. Thailand.- NORTHERN: Chiang Mai, Tak; NORTHEASTERN: Loei; EASTERN: Nakhon Ratchasima, Ubon Ratchathani; SOUTHEASTERN:Prachin Buri, Chanthaburi; SOUTHWESTERN: Kanchanaburi, Prachuap Khirikhan; PENINSULA: Surathani. Distribution.- India, Malaysia,Indonesia. Uses.- Tuber and rhizome are used as a remedy for toothache or a wash for dandruff or scabs on the head. It is stimulant, stomachic, and carminative. The rhizome is externally used to treat abdominal pain, swelling and muscular rheumatism. GINGERS OF PENINSULAR MALAYSIA & SINGAPORE, Dr. Kai Larsen, et al - on checklist HORTICULTURAL NOTES: Le Jardin Ombragé - I have two specimens of this plant, one received in trade and one purchased from Naga Gardens. It is solid green and stays almost flat to the ground. The flowers are not conspicuous. I have it growing in filtered shade. Largest leaves are 4 1/2" by 6". From:David Petersen STOKES TROPICALS - The leaves of this plant are plain green and lay flat on the ground. Grows to 1 inch in the shade. The blooms are white with two purple spots on the lip. The leaves are large and round on this Asian spice plant grown for its rhizomes. Zone 8 GAINESVILLE TREE FARM - Thick, flat green Ivs.; white fls. w/purple throat SOUTHERN PERENNIALS - Bold, medium green, round leaves are about 8" long by 6" wide. White flowers with purple throats in early summer. Plants stay under 9" tall, spread to 18" wide. The edible rhizome is used as a spice in Asia. Hardy to at least 7°F. Zones 8-11. HORTICOPIA -Grows in USDA zones 8B to 11, Height: 1" to 3" / 5cm to 10cm, Prefers full shade to partial shade and moist soil EARTHCARE ENTERPRISES, Australia - offers this species. The Good Scents Company Description : Kaempferia Galanga is a small tropical plant of the ginger family and it is cultivated quite commonly throughout India and Indonesia, partly for the production of essential oil from the rhizomes of the plant, partly for use as a local spice. The rhizomes are steam distilled in India to yield a yellowish or pale amber somewhat viscous oil which deposits a substantial amount of crystals on standing. Oil of Kaempferia Galanga has a sweet woody, warm, balsamic, somewhat spicy odor of great tenacity. The flavor is less pleasant, camphoraceous, burning, yet very rich and aromatic. info http://www-ang.kfunigraz.ac.at/~katzer/engl/generic_frame.html?Afra_mel.html - This spice is an old Chinese medicine and has found limited use as spice in some parts of South East Asia (I have seen it occasionally in Vietnam and Indonesia), but it is rather popular in Thailand, where the grated rhizome is added to fish curries; it appears frequently in Thai curry pastes (see coconut). Slices of the dried rhizome are used if no fresh rhizome is available. The fresh spice is frequently, together with kaffir lime leaves, added to Thai soups. Fingerroot is sometimes available in Thai food stores. Its appearance is rather characteristic: The central part of the rhizome is rather small (2 cm) and globularly shaped, but most catching for the eye are the several (typically, ten or more) slender, long tubers sprouting from the central part all in the same direction (like the fingers of a hand). The tubers are about 5 mm thick and 10 cm long, and covered by a pale reddish-brown skin; the interior has about the same colour and is soft and watery. Interestingly, the tubers and the central part differ in their fragrance. Fingerroot is frequently confused with the Indonesian spice lesser galangale and wrongly called kentjoer (the Dutch version of the Indonesian name of lesser galanga). BOTANICAL GARDENS: (Gingers Only - Listing of locations where this plant can be seen.) Harry P. Leu Gardens, Neuer Botanischer Garten Goettingen, Grisebachstr, Goettingen, Germany New Orleans Botanical Garden, New York Botanical Garden, Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK |