Caulokaempferia sikkimensis, the Orchid Ginger, is a rare and unusual member of the family with medium-sized bright-green paddle-shaped foliage and an extremely beautiful small white and pink flower that arises directly from the soil. This ginger flowers late in the season in the UK, usually not appearing until September or even October before the first frosts start to cut back the leaves. An exciting plant and not especially hard to grow, it deserves to be more widely cultivated only requiring a warm sheltered south-facing aspect and a fertile but well drained humus-rich soil. Caulokaempferia can also be grown in a container and kept under glass in a cool greenhouse or conservatory keeping dry during the winter months. Its relatively modest size compared to the taller more vigorously growing Hedychiums makes it a good choice for container growing with exotic foliage and a beautiful flower.
