Curcuma longa (Curcuma longa)

Turmeric ( Curcuma longa ) belongs to the ginger family (Zingiberaceae) and is primarily known for the intense yellow color of its rhizome, which is used as a spice and medicinal plant. Originally from India, it is now cultivated in all tropical and subtropical regions.

Typical of ginger family plants, turmeric has an underground rhizome from which stems, up to 40 cm tall, grow, bearing leaves about 30 to 40 cm long. The leaves are matte green, velvety, and have an attractive red midrib. The round flower spikes, also about 30 to 40 cm tall, are more noticeable for their intensely pink bracts than for the flowers themselves. These are rather inconspicuous, about 4 cm long, and white. The flower spikes appear in our region from about August and last until October.

The rhizome can be eaten raw, but then it has a sharp, resinous, and slightly burning taste. The dried and ground powder is primarily used, mainly as a coloring agent in various foods due to its intense yellow color. Curry powder, for example, is yellow primarily because of ground turmeric.

Turmeric is undemanding as a houseplant and can also be placed outdoors in a sheltered, semi-shaded location during the summer.



You will receive a strong plant in a 12cm pot, approximately 30 to 40cm tall.