Etlingera elatior
Picture from: http://www.caju.org/ervas/index.html?r.htm
Common Name: Torch Ginger, Philippine Waxflower
Growth Requirements (including habitat): Torch ginger thrives in full sun to partial shade and, like most Etlingera, prefers disturbed areas. It also requires lots of water to grow well.
Habit (Herb/Shrub/Treelet/Tree): It is a rhizomatous perennial herb up to 6m tall. Leaves are green, hairless, oblong and lanceolate in shape, at a length of 1m, growing on bamboo-like leaf stalks. The large, torch-like, up to 1.5m tall flower stalks emerge from fleshy underground rhizomes. The inflorescences have waxy, red to pink, white-edged bracts and are pinecone-shaped with a skirt of larger bracts. The individual flowers emerge from between the colorful bracts and have a dark red labellum (lip petal) with a bright yellow margin. The flowers are followed by green to reddish fruit.
Uses: It is cultivated throughout tropical Southeast Asia for its spectacular flowers and for food. The unopened flower buds are edible and very flavourful; they possess a unique fragrance and taste, hence they are often used in Southeast Asian cooking. The flowers also make nice, long lasting cut flowers for tropical flower arrangements.
Interesting Information: Some common dishes that use the flower are rojak and laksa. It can also be used as a garnish for sour-savory soup.
Picture from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etlingera_elatior
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