Kaempferia attapeuensis (minuta) – Watermelon Pattern
This cute miniature Peacock Ginger has been grown under many names, most official sounding but of no validity. Years after being introduced in the cultivation a proposed name of Kaempferia minuta came into use by one group of Taxonomists. Unfortunately they did not publish it and subsequently a different Taxonomist published what I believe is the same species from Attapeu, Laos. This species is highly variable and there are several cultivars with differing foliage types. The Watermelon types offered here are a small round leaf variety found in Western Thailand. It is basically a flat leaf type, and usually each leaf is only 2-3 inches in diameter. The small size makes it ideal for pot culture. It has not been tested fully for cold hardiness, but other cultivars have done well in Zone 8 with proper drainage.