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.
It pains me to see great new introductions get absolutely horrible trade names. This very unique and beautiful Curcuma hybrid not only has a terrible name but it has several of them!. First released under its university breeding program name DT585, sellers have since decided to make up there own names for it. Zebra Choco Top, chocolate, choco zebra, etc have all been used. Fortunately its not easily mistaken regardless of names because it is so unique. This hybrid is the ONLY complex Curcuma hybrid on the market. Curcuma make great hybrids but by nature they are all sterile so no further breeding work can be done. The breeding program at Doi Tung in Thailand was able to bypass this program with some help from their lab. Tetraploid conversion and embryo rescue techiques have opened up a huge range of possibilities that weren’t possible not too long ago. This wonderful hybrid comes from Curcuma alismatifolia and Curcuma rhabdota which give it great bloom stems above the foliage , nice colors, and a hardier plant in general. Curcuma harmandii is in the mix providing its genes for unique bract form. I originally received this plant many years ago by accident and was disappointed at first but once growing and blooming it has become one of my absolute favorite Curcuma!
Grows to 1.5 feet and prefers medium sun. Hardy in Zone 8 and above.