Purple Roscoea Will Bring a Touch of the Exotic to Your Garden

We love plant — nearly all of them , truth be told — but it is without the slightest fleck of exaggeration when we say thatRoscoeais one of our favorite genera . Part of Zingiberaceae , the ginger family ( although roscoeas are not suit for the mesa ) , this radical of plants isnativeto areas across the Himalayas and is in general found at high elevation .

The genus , which was named for Liverpool Botanic Garden father William Roscoe , has undergone recent taxonomical revision , with extra species identification and modification or riddance of antecedently accepted species , variety , and forms expected .

At this point , we are comfortable in saying that we have hoard a respectable collection that is displayed in a 75 - metrical unit - long planting atFar Reaches Botanical Conservancy . What go on to rouse us is that there are many more to develop and to learn from . The hunt continues , and as we write this , we are looking ahead to an coming trip to the westerly Himalayas . With our roscoea bona fides dispense with , however , we are n’t fibbing when we say that of the 24 or so species in the genus , purplish roscoea ( Roscoea purpurea ) is among the good .

The firstRoscoeaspecies to be described ( in 1806 ) , empurpled roscoea is a standout because of its sturdy , comparatively tall 15- to 24 - inch stems and large , alien purple flower positioned nicely above the leaves during the second half of summertime . There are also two forms of this species that provide extra bloom colors . Roscoea purpureaf.purpureaproduces variable floral hues ranging from white to typical lustrous purple , whereas the shorterR. purpureaf.rubrais the only of course pass off violent roscoea . The latter is better known as the grabby ‘ Red Gurkha ’ , a now invalid name because of varied light-green and reddish foliage expressions .

One of purple roscoea ’s enduring values is its hereditary contribution to breed oeuvre , which largely comes out of the UK and Ireland and , to a lesser extent , Europe and North America . noted hybrids let in ‘ Royal Purple ’ and ‘ Harvington Imperial ’ from the UK , and on this side of the pond , ‘ Family Jewels ’ . We love it when it takes fourth dimension , luck , and effort to find and acquire a cool plant . It makes us appreciate it all the more for the payable panache often miss in spate - produced plantes du jour .

Roscoeas require cool night temperature and nerveless to stale winters ( possibly into Zone 4 ) . red-hot and humid weather ? Not so much . We have report of success in Maryland and possibly farther in the south in the mountains , as well as out West in the Rocky Mountains . Roscoeas perform well in appropriate northern - tier land and the Northwest . These tuberous perennials often double in root word number each class and can increase by seeded player . They are boring to arise in bounce , with some species snoozing into June , but they zigzag once alive . slug and snails are a minor nuisance to our plant , but deer or rabbits do n’t trouble them . This watching is based on our deer and rabbits , though ; yours might not be able to read this .

Purple roscoea

Roscoea purpurea

Zones:5–8

term : Nearly full sun to partial shade ; rich , well - drained grime

Native range : Himalaya Mountains

Kelly Dodson and Sue Milliken grow some of the coolest plants on the major planet at Far Reaches Farm Nursery and Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy in Port Townsend , Washington .

exemplification : Elara Tanguy

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Photo: courtesy of Far Reaches Farm

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