 member of the ginger family with orchid-like flowers formed largely from staminodes rather than true petals. It dies back each year to a short, vertical rhizome with tuberous roots. Native to cooler mountainous regions of Asia, it produces its flowering stems in early summer. Flowers appear June to August.

Roscoea cautyloides belongs to the genus Roscoea in the Zingiberaceae and comes from cooler, mountainous parts of Asia, where species grow in grassland, scree and at the edges of deciduous woodland. Plants are herbaceous perennials that retreat to a short vertical rhizome over winter and start growing with the onset of the summer growing season. Select a site that reflects its native range: positions that combine good drainage with regular moisture during the growing months suit it best. Scree-like, gritty soils or a humus-rich soil at a woodland edge are both appropriate; where it receives too much hot, direct afternoon sun it can benefit from some light shade. Plant with the rhizome just below the soil surface so shoots can emerge readily in spring. Roscoea cautyloides works well in rock and alpine gardens, at the front of herbaceous borders where a cooler microclimate exists, or beside shaded gravel paths and woodland margins. Its orchid-resembling blooms add an architectural element to summer beds and naturalistic planting schemes. Expect the flowering stems to rise from the rhizome in early summer, bringing the characteristic blooms between June and August.

Roscoea cautyloides is a perennial member of the ginger family with orchid-like flowers formed largely from staminodes rather than true petals. It dies back each year to a short, vertical rhizome with tuberous roots. Native to cooler mountainous regions of Asia, it produces its flowering stems in early summer. Flowers appear June to August.

Roscoea cautyloides is a perennial ginger with orchid-like flowers that bloom June to August in cool, open or woodland-edge spots.

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