{"product_id":"blue-ginger-dichorisandra-thyrsiflora-blue-ginger","title":"Blue Ginger - Dichorisandra thyrsiflora","description":"\u003cp\u003eBlue Ginger is one of the few plants that brings deep blue flowers to a shaded bed. From late summer into autumn, each upright cane finishes in a dense spike of violet blue flowers lit by bright yellow centres, held above glossy dark green leaves that spiral up the stem. The name is borrowed: Dichorisandra thyrsiflora is not a ginger at all but a member of the spiderwort family from the forests of Brazil, related to tradescantia. The likeness is in the habit, a clump of jointed, unbranched canes that look like ginger or cane grass, rising from thick, fleshy roots and filling out slowly into a stand. A true ginger for the same shade, such as \u003ca href=\"\/products\/false-cardamom-alpinia-nutans\"\u003eFalse Cardamom\u003c\/a\u003e, is grown for its scented leaves and seldom flowers in cooler gardens, so the two do different jobs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMost flowers for a south facing bed are white, pale or pink, while this one brings cool, saturated colour to the same conditions, just as the summer show is ending. The cost is a winter lull. In cooler districts the clump looks tired by late winter and may die back before reshooting in spring.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eA bright, sheltered patch of shade\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePart shade suits it: bright, dappled light, or morning sun followed by shade from about midday. Summer afternoon sun turns the leaves yellow and scorches them, while very deep shade gives tall, leaning canes and fewer flower spikes. It is frost tender. It grows well along the coast from north Queensland down through Brisbane and into Sydney, and in colder areas it is a plant for a sheltered courtyard, a protected spot under the eaves or a tub on castors that comes under cover for winter. Dig plenty of compost into the bed before planting and make sure it drains, then keep it evenly moist through spring and summer while the canes are growing and budding, and ease off in winter, when cold, soggy soil is what rots the roots. A thick mulch holds the moisture it likes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhy a clump stops flowering\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA blue ginger that makes leaves but few flowers is usually in too much shade, too dry through summer or underfed. It flowers on the tips of mature canes, so anything that stops the canes reaching full size also costs you the spikes. Wind is the other problem. The canes are fairly soft and bend or snap in a strong gust, especially when heavy with flowers, so a spot sheltered by a wall, a fence or taller shrubs keeps the clump upright. Snails and slugs strip the soft new shoots as they push through in spring, and potted plants can pick up mealybug in the leaf joints, which a dab of methylated spirits on a cotton bud, or a horticultural oil spray, deals with.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eCutting back, feeding and dividing\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA cane that has flowered declines over the following months, so once the spike has faded, cut it right down at the base, either straight away or in late winter as part of a general tidy. New canes come up from the base in spring and carry the next autumn's flowers. Scatter a slow release fertiliser around the clump as growth starts in spring and repeat as summer begins, or use well rotted manure instead. Every few years, when the clump is crowded or flowering less, split it in spring, keeping pieces that have healthy roots and a cane or two attached. Stem cuttings with a couple of nodes also strike readily in a moist mix. In a container, use a good quality potting mix enriched with compost and a pot wide enough for the clump to spread; the practical detail for a shaded deck or courtyard is in \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/plants-for-pots-and-courtyards\"\u003egrowing in pots\u003c\/a\u003e. \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/flowering\"\u003eFlowering Plants\u003c\/a\u003e mixes sun lovers with shade plants, so check the light each one needs before pairing it with blue ginger.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3 class=\"pd-size-guidance\"\u003eChoosing a size\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis plant is supplied in one size, 300mm, at $139.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot it arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/news\/when-to-plant-trees-and-shrubs-australia\"\u003ewhen to plant in Australia\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plant Drop","offers":[{"title":"300mm","offer_id":67670332047729,"sku":null,"price":139.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1017\/1049\/6113\/files\/blue-ginger-dichorisandra-thyrsiflora-blue-ginger.jpg?v=1791513610","url":"https:\/\/plantdrop.com.au\/products\/blue-ginger-dichorisandra-thyrsiflora-blue-ginger","provider":"Plant Drop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}