Common Name: cautleya
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Zingiberaceae
Native Range: Southeast Asia
Zone: 7 to 9
Height: 1.00 to 2.50 feet
Spread: 1.00 to 2.50 feet
Bloom Time: July to September
Bloom Description: Yellow with red streaks
Sun: Part shade
Water: Medium to wet
Maintenance: Medium
Flower: Showy
Culture
Best grown in evenly moist to wet, rich, humusy soils in part shade. Hardy in Zones 7-9. One of the hardiest cautleyas. Benefits from plenty of winter mulch in the colder end of its hardiness range.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Cautleya gracilis, commonly called hardy ginger, is a clump-forming, herbaceous perennial native to moist, forested valleys in the foothills of the Himalayas up to an altitude of 10,000'. The lance-shaped leaves wrap tightly around each other forming a pseudostem that can reach up to 2.5' tall. Terminal flower spikes bloom in late summer. The blooms are lemon yellow with maroon red streaks and wavy margins.
The genus name Cautleya honors Sir Proby Cautley (1802-1871), a British naturalist, engineer, and paleontologist.
The specific epithet gracilis means "slender or graceful".
Problems
No major pest or disease problems.
Uses
Adds a tropical feel to mixed borders. Suitable for use in containers.