Roscoea scillifolia fo. atropurpurea

Description

This Roscoea species is perfectly hardy in zone 5-6 and it makes it up for its tiny flowers with the strange dark purple, almost black color and abundant flowering. It needs to be placed in the front of a shade border/shady rockery to be able to appreciate the flowers.

Tip: grow it close to species that can provide a background of lighter colors in a part-shade location. A small size variegated/gold leaf Carex will do well. Also, keeping in mind that all Roscoea emerge from the ground very late so it is good to have it close other more early species.

R. scillifolia  s.l. is it supposed to be extinct in the wild at the present. Luckily, various forms are preserved in cultivation, so even if not some of the showiest because of the small flowers, let’s not forget that ‘propagation means conservation’;)

Germination: like for all Roscoea spp., warm germinator but usually better/more uniform after 3-4 weeks of cold/moist.
Soak the seeds for a few days before sowing, and spread them thinly: they need space to grow for 1-2 seasons in the same pot. Plant them in the ground in the 3 or 4th year in the spring.