Etlingera elatior edible pink torch ginger in WA (forum)

Kaffir starts with ...
Does anyone in Western Australia have any rhizomes or seeds of Etlingera elatior, edible pink torch ginger? I would like to try growing it in Port Hedland, Western Australia.

All the online nurseries that I've found that stock torch ginger varieties seem to be in Queensland and either don't ship at all to WA or add the $300 quarantine seed inspection fee. Oh the strict WA quarantine laws!

www.towenmounttropicals.com.au/
www.elarishtropicalexotics.com/
www.bambooland.com.au/

Although the varieties of torch ginger are very pretty and decorative, I would like to try to grow it for culinary reasons.

Grateful if anyone can help me out.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1

Time: 8th January 2014 6:06am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author Kaffir
South Hedland WA 6722
#UserID: 9285
Posts: 5
View All Kaffir's Edible Fruit Trees

trikus says...
is it on the allowed list ?
your picture is different to the real bunga katan

Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2

Time: 8th January 2014 9:10am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author trikus
TULLY,4854,QLD
#UserID: 5279
Posts: 121
View All trikus's Edible Fruit Trees

Kaffir says...
Hi trikus,

According to this site, http://www.biosecurity.wa.gov.au/organisms, it's permitted.

Regarding the photo, I just copied it from one of the online nurseries above. Yes, your photo is of the variety I'm familiar with as 'Bunga Kantan/Bunga Siantan'. Bunga siantan though also refers to some other non-edible flower I think.

Are you growing those in the photos you posted? How difficult or expensive would it be to send some rhizomes to me in Port Hedland?

The only fairly exotic thing I can think of that I have at the moment in return would be some Broome chilli seeds.

Cheers,

Time: 11th January 2014 4:28pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author Kaffir
South Hedland WA 6722
#UserID: 9285
Posts: 5
View All Kaffir's Edible Fruit Trees

Kaffir says...
Hi Trikus,

I'm still trying to source bunga kantan (Etlingera elatior) edible torch ginger in Western Australia. Any source or advice is appreciated.

Cheers,

Jay

Time: 24th April 2014 12:32am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author Kaffir
South Hedland WA 6722
#UserID: 9285
Posts: 5
View All Kaffir's Edible Fruit Trees

trikuslaptop1 says...
yes pictured plant is growing in my garden .. it has set seed before ..might be worth trying that ..


Time: 24th April 2014 4:07am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author trikuslaptop1
wet tropics
#UserID: 3851
Posts: 80
View All trikuslaptop1's Edible Fruit Trees

Kimberley Gardener says...
I recently purchased some from

http://www.ebay.com.au/usr/kenni_koala_seeds?_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2754

Kenni_Koala_Seeds on Ebay.

They haven't arrived yet but it's a start. Very hard for West Australians, especially when you are purchasing plants which are not suited to Perth/SW.


Time: 25th April 2014 8:47am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(1) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
People who Like this Answer: Kaffir
About the Author Dorte
KUNUNURRA,6743,WA
#UserID: 9378
Posts: 5
View All Dorte's Edible Fruit Trees

Kaffir says...
Hi Kimberley Gardener,

Please update when seeds arrive and if they germinate. Might follow your lead.

Cheers,

Time: 28th April 2014 11:52pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author Kaffir
South Hedland WA 6722
#UserID: 9285
Posts: 5
View All Kaffir's Edible Fruit Trees

trikus says...
Just found some seed pods in my clump ... may be another few months maturing .
pods pictured here ready in Aug a few years ago .

Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2

Time: 17th May 2014 3:20pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author trikus
TULLY,4854,QLD
#UserID: 5279
Posts: 121
View All trikus's Edible Fruit Trees

MaryT says...
Any chance of growing this in Sydney, trikus? If so I'd like to give it a go - may I get some seeds from you. Happy to pay. Thanks.

Time: 17th May 2014 3:31pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author MaryT
Sydney
#UserID: 5412
Posts: 2066
View All MaryT's Edible Fruit Trees

Kaffir says...
Hi Kimberly Gardener,

How did your bunga kantan seeds go? Any germination? Now that it's starting to warm up in the Pilbara, I'm thinking of giving bunga kantan a go.

Would love to find a source of seeds without the exorbitant quarantine fee.

Cheers,

Kaffir

Time: 8th August 2014 12:52am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author Kaffir
South Hedland WA 6722
#UserID: 9285
Posts: 5
View All Kaffir's Edible Fruit Trees

Dorte says...
They took a couple of months to germinate, I had all but given up. If you follow the ebay link, Kenni sent me the seeds without the quarantine feeds.
They are still very small plants but it's just nice to get them going finally!

Time: 10th August 2014 3:22pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author Dorte
Kununurra
#UserID: 9378
Posts: 5
View All Dorte's Edible Fruit Trees

Happiness says...
I know paradise distributors carry Nicolaia elatior (etlingera elatior) in red and pink. They also carry some other ginger varieties. They are in queensland but they batch their orders together so the bill is split and it only costs $30 to get them. I ordered a lot of different plants from then, including an acerola cherry a miracle plant and globba winitii thai beauty (ornamental ginger) the plants arrived when they said and were all healthy and protected with moistened newspaper. All plants are going really well a year on, have had lots of flowers from the thai beauty and have even had babies which have made great gifts (only problem is our dog loves eating the flowers, so we have to cut them for the vase promptly)
website: http://www.paraplants.com.au/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage-ask.tpl&category_id=4&product_id=1404&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1
Pictures - Click to enlarge

Picture: 1
Picture: 2

Time: 14th April 2015 2:13pm

Reply | LIKE this Answer(1) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
People who Like this Answer: trikuslaptop1
About the Author Happiness
6101
#UserID: 11628
Posts: 2
View All Happiness's Edible Fruit Trees

Happiness says...
Oh yeah, I live in W.A. postcode is 6101 and my ornamental ginger is going great (it's the purple and yellow flowering one I've posted above)
I grew up in Port Hedland, our garden up there was epic, everything loves the tropics and grew so well.

Time: 15th April 2015 12:56am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report
About the Author Happiness
6101
#UserID: 11628
Posts: 2
View All Happiness's Edible Fruit Trees

Adelene says...
Hi Happiness,

Do you have any bunga kantan plants for sale?

Time: 9th November 2015 12:51am

Reply | LIKE this Answer(0) | LIKE this Question (0) | Report

About the Author Adelene
Perth
#UserID: 6489
Posts: 6
View All Adelene's Edible Fruit Trees