Curcuma is an eye-catching perennial with a tropical feel. It pairs nicely with other tropical plants, like hibiscus and elephant ears. The plant prefers plenty of water so it would be a nice companion planting on the same watering schedule as the elephant ear.
The name comes from the Sanskrit kuṅkuma, referring to turmeric. Turmeric has been used in India since ancient times as a substitute for saffron and other yellowish pigments.
For garden planting, choose a location that has a fertile, moist soil with good drainage that receives a little early morning sun or bright filtered shade all day. Tubers should be planted about 1.5'' (4cm) deep and completely covered by soil to remain moist for good sprouting. Optimal temperature is between 20-30 degrees Celsius.
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Winter Care of Curcuma in Cold Climates
Costa Farm’s website gives this advice: “If you live in a cold-winter area, you’ll need to bring your Curcuma indoors to protect it from the chilly conditions. Curcuma needs to go dormant, so you can’t treat it like a houseplant. Rather, you’ll need to store the tubers in a cool, dry place."
"For Curcuma planted in the ground, carefully dig the tubers in fall, when the plant’s foliage begins to turn yellow. Gently clean loose soil from the tubers, then let them dry in a warm, sunny place for a day or so. Once the tubers are dry, store them in a container with coarse sand or peat moss. Don’t seal the container -- let it breathe. It’s best to store Curcuma tubers in a cool place (50F/10C) over winter. You don’t want the tubers to completely dry up over winter, sprinkle just a small splash of water in the sand/moss periodically."
For Curcuma in pots, you can stop watering the container once the foliage starts to go yellow. Let the potting mix dry, then store the entire pot in a cool place (50F/10C) for winter. Sprinkle just a bit of water in the pot a couple of times over winter so the tubers don’t completely dry out. Bring your Curcuma back outdoors to a shaded or partly shaded spot in spring after all danger of frost has passed.
See Beautiful Curcuma Plants in this Video: