Peacock Ginger

{"key":"peacock","name":"Peacock Ginger","botanical":"Kaempferia pulchra","slug":"peacock-ginger","id":"PLT-KAEM-PULC","type":"groundcovers","h":[1,1],"w":[3,3],"install":[0.25,0.5],"native":false,"groundGroup":"small","light":"Part shade to full shade","lightTags":["part","shade"],"water":"Moist, organic soil with drainage; water through establishment and growing-season dry spells","season":"Patterned warm-season leaves and small summer flowers; winter dormancy","care":"Choose a compact species; mark dormant clumps and divide rhizomes when needed","benefit":"Bring patterned foliage to a sheltered shaded bed.","intro":"Peacock Ginger brings broad, patterned leaves close to the ground, creating a rich contrast with fine foliage and plain green shrubs. This guide focuses on the compact Kaempferia pulchra, one of the smaller peacock gingers described by UF/IFAS. Bronze and purple markings and small summer flowers make it useful beside a shaded path where the detail can be enjoyed.","caution":"Expect the leaves to disappear in winter and return in late spring. Peacock Ginger is a shared common name for several species with different sizes; confirm Kaempferia pulchra on the nursery label. Do not substitute a taller ginger and expect the same low effect.","sizeNote":"The references establish a compact, rhizomatous habit but do not give a reliable mature height and width for this exact species. The diagram therefore uses a 12 in height and three-foot patch only as illustrative scale references. Neither is a mature-size claim. Ask the grower for the selection’s expected height, clump width and eventual spread before laying out the bed.","site":"Consider a sheltered Pensacola courtyard or shaded garden edge with organic soil and drainage. Check summer afternoon light and moisture under surrounding trees. The foliage suits a seasonal lower layer, while separate evergreen planting can keep the garden defined during dormancy. Start with a small grouping where establishment water and seasonal changes are easy to monitor.","uses":["A patterned shade-garden foreground","A seasonal layer beside a courtyard path","A low contrast beneath open-canopy planting","A shaded container with drainage","A small foliage collection near a sitting area"],"checks":[["Which peacock ginger is supplied?","Read the botanical label. UF/IFAS also describes larger species, including Kaempferia rotunda; their dimensions should not be transferred to this compact species."],["Does strong sun reach this spot?","Watch the bed through the afternoon. Part or full shade protects the foliage from scorching; bright open paving can make a nearby planting hotter."],["Can the soil stay moist without staying soggy?","Water new roots and check moisture during active growth. Good drainage matters, and winter dormancy changes the plant’s watering needs."],["Will winter gaps be acceptable?","Mark the planting position so dormant rhizomes are not dug up. Plan the winter view with nearby evergreen structure and avoid promising year-round leafy coverage."]],"faq":[["Will it stay green all winter?","No. UF/IFAS describes winter leaf loss and a late-spring return. Its value is a patterned warm-season ground layer, with a dormant interval in the garden."],["Is every peacock ginger the same size?","No. The common name covers several Kaempferia species and selections. This guide’s illustration is representative of compact K. pulchra; verify the actual nursery plant before using a spacing figure."],["Will it spread?","Rhizomes gradually enlarge the planting, and established material can be divided. Leave access to manage the grouping; a diagram patch is not a permanent spread boundary or a plant-count formula."]],"sources":[["UF/IFAS: Peacock Ginger","https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/peacock-ginger/"],["NC State Extension: Kaempferia","https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/kaempferia/"]],"unit":"in","heightLabel":"Typical height","spreadLabel":"Spreading habit","color":"#70815a","guideKind":"Groundcover","eyebrow":"THE LOW LAYER / FORM + SEASON","aliases":["Peacock Ginger","Kaempferia pulchra","Compact Peacock Ginger"],"goals":["color"],"wholeCaption":"Illustrative compact Kaempferia pulchra form. Confirm the nursery species and its expected dimensions; this image does not establish mature size.","detailCaption":"Illustrative foliage and seasonal detail of Peacock Ginger. Confirm the botanical name on the nursery label.","heightText":"Varies by selection; confirm nursery dimensions","heightReferenceOnly":true,"sizeBasis":"Illustrative size reference","sizeSummary":"Compact seasonal foliage · confirm selection size","referenceNote":"The 12 in height is an illustrative scale reference, not a verified mature height for this species.","groundForm":"ginger","patch":true,"patchWidth":3,"spreadText":"Spreading colony; keep a managed boundary","images":{"context":{"id":"6aa066edaa518d22c81058bb","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6aa066edaa518d22c81058bb_landova-groundcover-peacock-context.webp","alt":"Illustrative planting concept with Peacock Ginger","width":1600,"height":900},"whole":{"id":"6aa066ed5015d5f2fa791fb0","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6aa066ed5015d5f2fa791fb0_landova-groundcover-peacock-whole.webp","alt":"Illustrative whole-plant form of Peacock Ginger","width":1448,"height":1086,"fit":"contain"},"detail":{"id":"6aa066ee5663a9d1569f50d5","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6aa066ee5663a9d1569f50d5_landova-groundcover-peacock-detail.webp","alt":"Illustrative foliage and seasonal detail of Peacock Ginger","width":1254,"height":1254}},"companions":[{"slug":"cast-iron-plant","name":"Cast Iron Plant","title":"Keep an evergreen shade backdrop","reason":"Cast Iron Plant adds taller plain green leaves in its own shaded, draining area. Keep the ginger outside its expanding clumps.","image":{"id":"6aa052e4beb1621af788dce7","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6aa052e4beb1621af788dce7_landova-groundcover-castiron-context.webp","alt":"Illustrative planting concept with Cast Iron Plant","width":1600,"height":900}},{"slug":"dwarf-mondo-grass","name":"Dwarf Mondo Grass","title":"Contrast patterned and fine foliage","reason":"Dwarf Mondo can define a separate shaded edge. Leave each planting its own space and check moisture rather than crowding their roots together.","image":{"id":"6aa00d183fe0798c1efa78ee","url":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6a975baac0f352647862d847/6aa00d183fe0798c1efa78ee_landova-grass-mondo-context.webp","alt":"Illustrative planting concept with Dwarf Mondo Grass","width":1600,"height":900}}]}