Etlingera elatior
Syn. Alpinia elatior, Nicolaia elatior, Alpinia magnifica, Phaeomeria magnifica, Nicolaia magnifica, Elettaria speciosa, Amomum magnificum

Common names:

English : Porcelain rose, tropical ginger, caribbean artichoke, wax flower

Creole : Wòz poslèn

Spanish : Flor de cera, bastón de emperador, boca de dragón

English : Philippine wax flower, torch ginger, wax flower, porcelain flower

German : Fackelingwer, kaiserzepter

Indonesian : Kantan

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FAMILY

ZINGIBERACEAE

 

ETYMOLOGY

The name Etlingera comes from the German botanist Andreas Ernst Etlinger and Elatior means "higher" in Latin.

 

ORIGIN

Indonesia.

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HABITAT

Tropical rainforests (altitude 0-800m).

 

DESCRIPTION

The porcelain rose is a herbaceous , perennial and rhizomatous plant. It is very appreciated for its flowers, of an incomparable beauty.

It has leafy, large and rigid stems that can reach 6m in good conditions.

The Leaves are alternate with short petiole, they measure from 30 to 60cm.

The true flowers are born between the bracts, they are small, darker in color with a yellow border. Those at the base are sterile. The bracts are magnificent, in the shape of an inverted cone, waxy in appearance and of different colors depending on the variety. The most common are pink or red, more rarely, white. There are also hybrids. They grow on leafless stems of 1 to 2m starting directly from the rhizomes. 

The fruits are rounded, somewhat fleshy and filled with small black seeds.

The rhizomes , fruits and flowers have a very pleasant smell of ginger with a floral note.

The whole plant, with the exception of the leaves, is purple for the variety with a red inflorescence.

Harvest from the beginning of March to the end of August. Density: 1160 plants/Ha. Production: 4,000 flowers the second year, 11,000 the third, then 23,000 the 4th and the  5th year.

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NEEDS

Abundant watering .

It prefers a light soil , fresh, rich in organic matter, slightly acidic and well drained. But it adapts to heavy and humid soils.

Exposure: shade to full sun, preferably sheltered from the wind.

Hardiness: 11 (5°C).

Flowering: Almost all year round, especially from April to October. The first inflorescences appear from the second year of cultivation.

Fruiting: Almost all year round.

 

MULTIPLICATION 

Seeds or rhizomes

Hot sowing (20°C, bury the seeds at 1.5 times their size in propagation compost) or separation of rhizomes (March-June or all year round in tropical zones).
The most used method is the separation of rhizomes. Seedlings will give plants that will not flower for 3-4 years.
- Cut the rhizomes using a knife or clean, disinfected pruning shears to obtain plants with an adult stem and 1 to 3 suckers. Soak them in water to facilitate cleaning. Cut the leaves and roots. Remove all the soil and check if the rhizomes are healthy (remove affected parts if necessary). If you wish, you can disinfect it or wash it with black soap. Let it dry for a few days to promote healing.
- Prepare a pot with a mixture of soil and compost (or potting soil if you cannot get compost), in equal quantities. You can add a little perlite, charcoal powder and mycorrhizae (if you have any) and put pebbles at the bottom if you put it in a dish.
- Plant the rhizome (you can praline it beforehand), suckers up, do not cut the stem too short, it is a reserve for the regrowth of the plant. Be careful not to bury the plants too much to facilitate their start.

- Do not overwater at first to avoid rotting. Do not fertilize until the plant has developed.

 

CULTURE AND  MAINTENANCE

Place your pots in a bright place with an ambient temperature of at least 15°C with good humidity.`

It is necessary to remove faded flowers and dead leaves for abundant flowering.

Repot or divide before the rhizomes have completely filled the pot.

Cultivation in greenhouse or veranda possible in pot or planter.

This plant has no known pests or diseases except, occasionally, lenticular mealybugs which cause the leaves to dry out.

The culture can remain in place for more than 10 years.

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USES

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ORNAMENTAL USE

Very nice indoor plant. Can be planted as an isolated subject and in hedges in tropical regions. It is widely grown for cut flowers.

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FOOD USE

Drinks, syrups, jams, flowers in salads, punch, soups, sorbets.

Edible parts: Roots, flowers, flower buds, fruits and seeds.

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RECIPE

Porcelain Rose Sorbet

(Recipe from Martinican chef Nathanael DUCTEIL)

Follow this link:

https://www.facebook.com/ChefNathanaelDUCTEIL/posts/349075663450175/

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ANECDOTES

The genus Etlingera is composed of 57 species living from Sri Lanka to New Guinea and the Porcelain Rose is the only cultivated species.

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SOURCES

- Illustrated flora of the phanerogams of Guadeloupe and Martinique - Jacques Fournet - CIRAD GONDWANA EDITIONS - T2 P2029

- Tropical plants in the wild or acclimatized state - Jens G.Rohwer - Ed. Delachaux and Niestlé - P222

- The great Larousse of 15,000 garden plants & flowers - Ed Larousse - P415

- Floral crops brochure - Guadeloupe Chamber of Agriculture - Oct 2004