Cheilocostus speciosusCrepe Ginger

The cane-like stems of Cheilocostus speciosus spiral as they grow, carrying dark green lance-shaped leaves in a slow helix from base to tip. In summer each stem is topped by a red cone of bracts from which crisp white flowers emerge one at a time, with the crumpled texture that gives the plant its common name.

It builds a clump 1.5 to 2.5 metres high and works best as an understorey mass in filtered light, where the spiral stems and the flower cones both read clearly.

Specifications

• Height1.5 to 2.5 metres
• Width1.0 to 2.0 metres, spreading by rhizome
• Native toSoutheast Asia and the Indian subcontinent
• FoliageDark green lance-shaped leaves arranged spirally on cane-like stems; herbaceous, dying back in cool or dry conditions
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilPrefers moist, humus-rich, free-draining soils
• LightPartial shade, or full sun where moisture is reliable
• WaterModerate to high; needs consistent moisture through the growing season
• ClimateThrives in humid tropical and subtropical regions

Additional Features

• FlowersCrisp white crepe-textured flowers emerging from a red bract cone in summer
• UsesTropical understorey massing, courtyard and poolside beds, and shaded borders
• SpacingPlant 0.8 to 1.0 metres apart for a continuous clump
• Low MaintenanceCut spent canes to the ground at the end of the season and divide when congested
• Pest ResistanceGenerally untroubled where drainage and airflow are adequate
• Cultural SignificanceLong used in South and Southeast Asian traditional medicine and ritual planting
• VersatilityEffective as a mass, a container subject or a screening clump under canopy

Crepe Ginger delivers a strong tropical understorey texture with a distinctive summer flower.