Globba marantina
The size of the plant and of its bag can vary a little from the photograph — each one grows at its own pace. We keep them as consistent as we can.
Overview
Globba is a small, delicate ginger, in the cardamom family, whose drooping flower spikes look like miniature dancers. Among the flowers it forms little bulbils that drop to the ground and grow into new plants, and that are also used as a spice. It's native to a wide swath of tropical Asia, from China and India to northern Australia. Ideal for pots and shady borders.
Culture
- Habit
- Perennial
- Height
- 0.40 m
- Cultivation Status
- Wild
A perennial herb with upright stems up to 50 cm. In the wild it grows in dry forests, on sandbanks and in valleys, in open spots. In the garden it prefers partial shade and loose, well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Like other gingers, it may drop its leaves in the dry season and resprout with the rains. It propagates from its bulbils or by dividing the rhizome.
Edible Uses
The bulbils, slightly spicy but not hot, are used fresh or dried as a seasoning, much like cardamom.
Medicinal
Traditionally the bulbils are eaten to stimulate the appetite.
Traditional uses for information only. Not a substitute for advice from a health professional.
Agroforestry
A short-cycle species of the low stratum for shady borders and corners. It brings color beneath the trees and reseeds itself from its bulbils.