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Curcuma amada is one of two species with the common name ‘Mango Ginger.’ The name refers to the scent of the rhizomes but supposedly its unripe scent, not the lovely tropical fruit scent you might be hoping for. Despite not being suitable for your fruit smoothy this is an edible ginger. Unlike its close relative Curcuma longa (Turmeric) this species’ rhizomes are often eaten whole. Sometimes pickled and often cooked. It usually is not ground up as spice as Turmeric is. For the gardener though, this is one of the few edibles that actually looks good. It is one of the branching rhizome types and thus a very good grower. This is not a plant for tight spaces, but for the right area its a large landscaper that produces long stems with a large pink inflorescence. Its color is similar to the common hidden ginger of the south but this is a large plant with much taller stems. It is also usually the first of all the summer bloomers to bloom, often overlapping with the end of the spring blooming species. It will continue to bloom all summer long making it one of the longest blooming seasons of any hardy ginger. It can be grown from bright shade to full sun and is pretty much fool proof. It makes a good cut flower and once established one can cut stems very low (whole plant) to get exceptionally long cut flowers. Although just solid green, it and most landscape type Curcuma have leaves that make great foliage cuts for flower arrangements.
Grows to 4 feet in bright shade to full sun. Hardy in Zone 8 and above (a good candidate for trialing in Zone 7)
Photograph with arrangement shows leaves of Curcuma sp. ‘Snowdrift’ with cut flowers of Curcuma amada, size 11 shoe next to full length cut stems.