Oxblood Ginger

Costus erythrophyllus is native to West South America to North Brazil. This species is used as ornamental plant as (potted plant, cut plant and in gardens), a medicine and for food.

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Can be found in forest and woodland, shrubland, wetlands (inland). Oxblood ginger likes full sun to partial shade and frequent watering. Grows in acid to neutral soil with pH 6.0-7.5.

• Leaves - bluish green above while bright red below the leaves, which gives the common name; spiral and mostly crowded at the apex, petiolate short, glabrous, obovate to oblong, measuring 5-10 cm long and 1.5-2.5 cm wide; base cuneate, apex acute to acuminate, margin entire.  
• Flower - inflorescence, spike, terminal arrangement, flowers large, bracts red to slightly pale pink, broadly ovate; calyx red and puberulous, corolla white tubular and glabrous; stamens 4-5 cm long with pinkish white anther of 10 mm long. 

Vegetatively propagated by division of rhizomes. The rhizomes can be divided in winter to extract new plants. Dig up the whole clump, or a section of the clump, (or remove from the pot), and shake off the soil. Remove any dead or unhealthy rhizomes, and divide the rest, making sure each division has at least two or three shoots. Re-plant immediately.

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• In the Dominican Republic and United States, it is used for diabetes.