Scientific name: Costus barbatus
Common name: Spiral ginger, red tower ginger
Family: Costaceae
Origin: Costa Rica
Category: Tropical perennial herb
Photo Taken at: Floria 2010
“Costus barbatus 'Red' (Costaceae) at Floria 2010 - Wordless Wednesday”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on April 19th, 2011.
Costus barbatus grows in a clump, reaching a height of about 6ft. The inflorescences consist of bright, glossy red bracts that contrast beautifully with the clear yellow true flowers. The yellow tubular flowers are edible with a delightful sour lemony flavour. Grow in full sun or shade, USDA Zone 8-11. In the tropics, it is ever-blooming and the inflorescences can last for months. They attract hummingbirds. Good as cut flowers
This is my entry for Ruby Tuesday, thanks to Work of the Poet, the link is here.
