Kaempferia elegans

Kaempferia, still relatively unknown as houseplants, originate from subtropical to tropical regions of Asia and belong to the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). Some Kaempferia species , most notably the spice lily ( Kaempferia galanga ), are used in Asian cuisine, while others are popular there as ornamental plants. They are also becoming increasingly popular in our region, especially the beautiful Kaempferia elegans .

The leaves of Kaempferia elegans are reminiscent of those of some prayer plants (Marantaceae), such as Calathea 'Flamestar'. They are simple, oval, and up to 25 cm long and 15 cm wide. Several white bands spread across them in concentric rings. K. elegans has an underground rhizome from which new shoots emerge at short intervals, each bearing only a few pairs of leaves. It remains close to the ground and usually does not grow taller than 20 cm. A single, purple/white flower, about 3 to 5 cm in diameter, appears at the tip of each shoot. The pretty flowers are a nice bonus to this attractive foliage plant, but they only last a few days.

Kaempferia are less susceptible to pests than the similar-looking prayer plants and have very similar (low) care requirements. In our experience, ginger plants in general are very robust and easy to care for, and we hope they will become even more popular in the future!



You will receive a strong plant with several shoots, ready to flower or already flowering, in a 14cm pot. Like most tuber/rhizome plants, it should be repotted into a larger pot, so please repot it soon after receiving it!