 I found this plant at a nursery in South Florida, where it was not identified, but later named as Costus 'Pink Lips' by the owner. He got it from a collector in Hawaii who got it from who knows where. I have identified it as a dwarf form of the widespread Costus pulverulentus. It grows and blooms at under 3 feet tall, and the bracts are green, turning pinkish-red, with the typical shaped flowers of Costus pulverulentus - corolla lobes curled out, stamen much longer than labelum. The inflorescence is also typical, fusiform in shape with the margins of the bracts fibrous. It seems to be a fairly vigorous grower, and flowered for me the first year from a rhizome.
Hardiness is untested, but possibly this is hardy zone 8B to 9 as most forms of Costus pulverulentus are hardy in those areas. Its compact size makes it an excellent candidate for growing in a pot so you can move it indoors in winter if necessary. I am guessing it will grow best in a few hours direct sunlight, I have been growing it under 20% shade and it was growing under shadier conditions in South Florida.
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