Kaempferia galanga is one of the main edible/spice gingers used throughout India and southeast asia. This beautiful red leaf form is a wild type that is often called Kaempferia marginata. These two species were extremely similar to begin with but now are considered to be the same species, with Kaempferia galanga having naming priority as it was published first. This species is one of the flat leaf Peacock Gingers. These types often “hug” the ground or the rocks they grow in between. Some research suggests this habit evolved to help the plant trap carbon dioxide that is emitted from the soil. The flowers of this species can vary a good bit but are almost always white with purple markings on the flowers labellum.
Grows to 2 inches in shade, hardy in USDA Zones 8 and above.