All in Good Time

I had serious doubts when this plant first showed up. I ordered it from White Flower Farm via the Internet. When it arrived, it looked completely stressed out from the journey (see below). It took a little time for it to get adjusted and now I am loving it.

This is Xanthasoma Aurea "Lime Ginger". It is in the elephant ear family, a group of tropicals that come in a variety of colors. I'm partial to this chartreuse. It thrives in part shade and loves rich soil but there's only so much effort I'm willing to put into that. I don't like divas so if it can't live in the same conditions as my other plants then it won't earn a return engagement in my garden.

I've heard it performs well in a water garden if you're into that sort of thing. I avoid any accumulation of water because in our Virginia climate it will breed a vicious swarm of mosquitoes in five seconds flat.

So if you need some ideas for a bold, dramatic foliage plant that likes a shadier spot, definitely add this to your list. Now that I know how spectacular it is, I might just make room for two next year.

Bookshelf: Container Gardening Books