An easy to grow perennial, stunning in its tropical appearance and delicately aromatic with a pleasant warm scent! Prized for it’s medicinal qualities, and numerous health, beauty and culinary benefits. You will receive 2 healthy rhizomes ready to plant. A simple and fun plant to grow in soil or container. Shampoo ginger is an incredibly fragrant perennial. Can typically be grown from zone 7b (with some freeze protection) to zone 11. From autumn until spring it goes dormant. In the spring, the plant sprouts. The 10-12 blade-shaped leaves 15–20 cm long grow in an alternate arrangement on thin, upright stem to 6' tall. Among the leafy stems, the conical or club-shaped flower heads burst forth on separate and shorter stalks. These appear in the summer, after the leafy stems have been growing for a while. The flower heads are initially green and are 3-8" long with overlapping scales, enclosing small yellowish-white flowers that poke out a few at a time. As the flower heads mature, they gradually fill with an aromatic, liquid and turn a bright red color. The juice can be used to quench thirst when out walking in the forest. Perhaps the most common use of 'awapuhi' is as a shampoo and conditioner for the hair. The clear juice present in the mature flower heads is excellent for creating soft, shiny hair. It can be left in the hair or rinsed out. Hawaiian women often pick or cut the flower heads of this plant in the forest, as they approach a pool or waterfall for a refreshing summer bath, leave the flowers atop a nearby rock, and then squeeze the sweet juices into their hair and over their bodies when the swim is completed. The sudsy juice is excellent for massaging and moisturizing the skin. Planting Instructions: • In Garden - Plant rhizomes 2-4 inches below the surface, 18” apart in good quality, well-draining soil with moderate water from Spring – Summer. Drought tolerant, but grows best with regular water and occasional fertilization during growing season. *Some initial protection from intense sun will give your plants the best chance for a healthy, happy start in their new home. • In Container - Plant 2-3” deep in good quality, well-draining potting mix. Water regularly during the growing months, then greatly reduce watering during the dormant season. Water when soil is dry 1” below the surface. PLEASE DO NOT OVERWATER. • Zone Hardiness: 8-11 (unless potted & moved indoors -Zone ?) • Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Sun (based on climate) • Culture: Daylight and temperature sensitive. As a result, rhizomes will sprout in the late spring/early summer depending upon climate. In Florida, Shampoo Ginger sprouts in late spring, grows and flowers during the summer, flowers turn red in the fall and finally goes dormant in the winter to return the next spring. It is very important to note: If you are not planting in the spring, rhizomes may not sprout until the following spring Flowers typically bloom the second season after sprouting A single rhizome will grow foliage 2-6 ft. high and wide in a few years. • Recipe: Squeeze awapuhi juice from ripe flower heads, strain through a cheese cloth to remove impurities and apply directly to skin or wash into hair. You may also add to an existing lotion or shampoo.