Crepe Ginger is a tall plant with large (up to 20 cm long) pubescent, dark green leaves arranged on the stalk in a spiral. In tropical regions it can grow to 10 ft (3.1 m) tall, while in cooler regions grows to about 6 ft (1.8 m) tall and it dies back in winter. The flowers appear in late summer and they are remarkable looking. They form on glossy red cone-shaped bracts, which stays red till the flowers are finished. From each cone 3 or 4 pure white crinkled flowers appear one at a time, hence the common name, Crepe Ginger. The attractive red cone-shaped bracts remain even after the flowers are gone. The fruits are red capsules and they contain black seeds with a white fleshy aril.
Wagner, W.L., D.R. Herbst and S.H. Sohmer. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of (Hawai'i.)
(Stone, Benjamin. 1970. The flora of Guam.)
Cheilocostus speciosus is native to the Malay Peninsula of Southeast Asia, but it has naturalized and become weedy in some tropical areas, including Hawaii and American Samoa.
Wagner, W.L., D.R. Herbst and S.H. Sohmer. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of (Hawai'i.)
(Stone, Benjamin. 1970. The flora of Guam.)
Cheilocostus speciosus is listed as a potential invasive plant in the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, and in French Polynesia.
Wagner, W.L., D.R. Herbst and S.H. Sohmer. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of (Hawai'i.)
(Stone, Benjamin. 1970. The flora of Guam.)
We currently have 21 herbarium specimens for Hellenia speciosa in our collection. Click on any specimen below to view the herbarium sheet data.
