Tropical Plant Database - Plant Details

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.

• 083654 - collected by Art Whistler in 1974
• 083655 - collected by Art Whistler in 1992
• 015998 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1994
• 027291 - collected by David H. Lorence in 1996
• 021696 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1996
• 021697 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1996
• 025252 - collected by David H. Lorence in 1997
• 034655 - collected by Michael J. Balick in 1997
• 037707 - collected by Michael J. Balick in 1997
• 028628 - collected by David H. Lorence in 1998
• 029706 - collected by Tim Flynn in 1999
• 034577 - collected by Michael J. Balick in 1999
• 038723 - collected by Michael J. Balick in 2000
• 038799 - collected by F. Sohl in 2001
• 040808 - collected by Tim Flynn in 2002
• 044791 - collected by David H. Lorence in 2005
• 051527 - collected by Michael J. Balick in 2007
• 056047 - collected by Natalia Tangalin in 2007
• 052072 - collected by David H. Lorence in 2010
• 095377 - collected by Elliot Gardner in 2022
• 095376 - collected by Elliot Gardner in 2022