Dormant rhizomes available to order now for spring delivery. Orders will be shipped out based on your region’s last average freeze date. If a specific date is preferred please mention in your order comments.
Curcuma australasica is one of the very few seeded species that occurs outside of the normal SE Asian range for Curcuma. It is native to .. you guessed it, Australia. In the northern tropical areas this species occurs as a true seeded wild species. Interestingly it seems this species may have an extended range beyond Australian! Now the cultivated plant that we call Curcuma australasica may or may not be this species. It is certainly similar but doesn’t quite match and its origins are a mystery. Our cultivated ‘Aussie Plume’ grows 3-4’ tall which is much larger than the northern Australian plants. One day it will be sorted out but for now all we can say is that our C. australisica is an easy to grow plant with long stems perfect for cutting. The bracts are a dark pink with a hint of magenta. This species has been successfully grown in the south for many years but is surpringly not widely grown. In the garden setting a medium sun area is best. As far as Curcuma go, this should be planted behind the smaller Curcuma such as ‘Tulip Ginger’ types and even medium species like Curcuma petiolata. It is however shorter than the large spring bloomers such as Curcuma elata and C. ornata, as well as most Butterfly Gingers.
Grows to 3-4′ in medium sun. Cold Hardy in Zones 8 and above.