Kahili Ginger!

From Plant Portfolio

The plant that ate my apartment is finally blooming! I bought it as a bulb at the gift shop of the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden in Hilo two years ago. My plumeria came from the same store. Below you can see pictures of what it looked like right after it sprouted, (that's a six inch pot!) and what it looks like now. The smell is incredible. I could tell it was blooming just by opening the door of my apartment. The scent spilled out into the porch.

	From Plant Portfolio

Here are a few facts about it:

• The plant is named after the feathered standards that were the symbol of a Hawaiian Noble's power.
• When it is sending up a new stalk it grows something close to an inch per day. The roots completely consume the soil.
• I haven't fertilized it at all, and it's been in a shady south facing window for most of the last two years. I try to saturate the soil with water once per week, but as the pots have gotten bigger that has gotten harder.