This Siam tulip plant died not long after flowering. Our gardener Ahai was quite upset because the plant was a gift from him. This morning while having my cuppa tea at the terrace, I spotted a flash of pink by the wall. Wow, two blooms this time.

This must be a perennial, like the awapuhi plant next to it. They shrivel and die in the autumn, grow back from the rhizomes in the ground next spring. This particular one grew back probably two to three weeks ago, and is already blooming now.

Curcuma alismatifolia, common name is Siam tulip, is a tropical plant native to Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. Despite its name, it is not related to the tulip, it is a member of the ginger family.

2020/9/21

An interesting observation of the naming of this plant. In English, it is Siam tulip, as the flower resembles tulip. The name in Chinese is ginger lotus, as we see more resemblance to the lotus.

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