Spiral Ginger
Costus malortieanus
Also known as Stepladder Plant
- Habit
- Herb
- Native to
- Tropical America
- Flowering
- April
How to identify Spiral Ginger
Identify Spiral Ginger by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a herb habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Velvety leaves with pale banding (stepladder plant).
- Confirm flower colour: Yellow.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: April.
- Confirm it sits within the Costaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Spiral Ginger.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Costus malortieanus
- Genus
- Costus
- Family
- Costaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Garden plant
- Habitat type
- Cultivated
- Native to
- Tropical America
- Flowering & fruiting
- April
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Typical of the Costaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Yellowrecorded
Typical of the family
- Inflorescence
- Spike
- Fruit
- Berry
Characters marked “recorded” are for Spiral Ginger itself; the rest are typical of the Costaceae family — flowering plants only.
About Spiral Ginger
Spiral Ginger (Costus malortieanus) is a herb in the Costaceae family. It is native to Tropical America. It grows in garden plant. Flowering and fruiting run from April.
Costaceae
Costus Family
Spiral Ginger belongs to the Costaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Costaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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