More than spice: Why Singapore’s ginger collection matters
Beyond the familiar knobby ginger, the order includes culinary staples like turmeric, galangal, and even bananas.
Singapore's Ginger Garden is a botanical wonderland, showcasing a diverse array of ginger species that span the globe. Managed by Jana Leong-Skornickova and Sarah Lim Qing, the 1-hectare garden boasts over 550 species and cultivars, making it one of the world's largest living collections of the Zingiberales order, which includes culinary staples like turmeric, galangal, and bananas.
Among the garden's star attractions is the Heliconia estherae, a critically endangered tropical plant endemic to Colombia. Discovered in 1982 and acquired by the Botanic Gardens in 2010, this specimen thrives in a shaded corner of the Ginger Garden, blooming only when conditions are just right. Another unique resident is the Singapore Ginger, a critically endangered island endemic plant that was first discovered in the Central Catchment Nature Reserve in 2014 by Leong-Skornickova.
This species, prized for its orange-red bracts and pale yellow flowers, blooms just once a year, typically between May and June.
The Ginger Garden also hosts several African spiral gingers, such as the Hanoi Torch (Musa haekkinenii) and the Costus phyllocephalus. The Hanoi Torch is known for its brilliant orange-red bracts and well-adapted to Singapore's tropical climate, while the Costus phyllocephalus dazzles with its striking pink and white flowers. Both species require specific growing conditions to thrive.
The Costus fenestralis, another African spiral ginger, flowered for the first time in over 25 years in July, marking a significant achievement for the Botanic Gardens' living collections.
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