Turmeric – Advanced – Curcuma domestica

Plant family: Zingiberaceae

Plant origin: South India

Fruit description:

Flowers: Ginger flowers are pretty, resembling lilies. Cape York Lily has a spectacular light purple flower, occurring in Summer until early Autumn. They are a lovely garden plant for shade, sun or pots.

Growing conditions: Turmeric is a hardy perennial plant that grows to about 1 metre high. The stems are cane like, the leaves long pointed and soft. It grows in any tropical, subtropical or warm temperate climates. The plant is dormant in Winter, vigorous in other seasons. It likes plenty of water in the growing seasons, little or none in Winter. Gingers grow well in pots. It is a handsome plant used to give a tropical feel to a landscape.

Uses: In gingers, the young rhizomes have thin skin and a milder flavour than the old ones. The rhizome can be used to spice food and puddings. Use fresh or dried ginger to make teas. Turmeric has a spectacular white flower, occurring in Summer until early Autumn. They are a lovely garden plant for shade, sun or pots.

Medicinal uses:

Pollination requirements: Self-Pollinating.

Harvest time You can harvest the edible fleshy rhizome anytime but the new rhizomes with thin skin and mild flavour are harvested in Winter. You can also eat the young green shoots for a mild flavour.

Plant relatives Common Ginger;Galangal;Red Torch Ginger;White Fragrant Ginger;Cape York Lily;Kencur;Katchai

Special features: In the ginger family there are about 20 species which are edible.

Grown by method: Root Division Pot size: 300mm

Plant growing Height and Width for pots or in the ground planting: Grows to 1 metres high by 1 metres wide if Planted in a Pot. Grows 1 metres high by 1 metres wide if Planted in the Ground.

Shipping plant pot or planter bag size: 125mm