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Stromanthe sanguinea ‘Triostar’
Stromanthe sanguinea ‘Triostar’
COMMON NAMES
Tricolor Ginger
Stromanthe (stroh-MAN-thee) - from the Greek for a bed and a flower, in reference to the shape of the inflorescence
sanguinea (san-GWIN-ee-ah) - blood red
'Triostar' - cultivar name
GROUP
Monocot
FAMILY 
Marantaceae
ORIGIN
Brazil
DESCRIPTION
Tricolor Ginger is an herbaceous perennial that averages 3 to 4 feet in height with a 18 to 24 inch spread. It is upright and clump-forming, arising from rhizomes with a fast growth rate.
Leaves are evergreen, fan-like in arrangement, 
12 inches long, simple, lance-shaped, broad, and shiny. The leaves are a variegated cream/white and green above and a burgundy pink underneath. The foliage is light reactive - reorienting its position in relation to the position of the sun during the day and folding inward at night
The flowers are pink with reddish bracts and are held in clusters usually above the foliage. It blooms in the spring.
HARDINESS
It is hardy in USDA zones 9 to 11, down to about 27 to 29 degrees F. It is often grown as an annual in the north.
LIGHT
Tricolor Ginger is a shade lover, preferring light to full shade. Full sun tends to burn the foliage.
SALT
Moderate Salt Spray Tolerance – it will tolerate some spray, but it is best to have more protection such as a fence or building as an additional barrier behind the first row of plantings or the first dunes.
SOIL
It prefers a moist, rich soil, but it will grow on a wide variety of well-drained soils in the pH range of 5.5 to 7.5.
WATERING
It has moderate drought tolerance once established, but it will perform better with even consistent moisture.
PROPAGATION
Division of rhizomes in the early spring
PRUNING
In marginal areas, mulch for the winter and cut way back in the spring. Otherwise, pruning is basically limited to removal of dead leaves.
FERTILIZING
It has no special fertilizer needs. Unless a soil test suggests otherwise, a slow-release balanced analysis fertilizer applied per the product label will work.
PESTS
Caterpillars - University of Missouri
Snails - University of California
Mealybugs - University of California
Spider Mites - University of California
DISEASES
Canna Rust - University of Hawaii
DEER
Resistant
There are very few totally “deer-proof” plants. There are also, relatively speaking, few plants that are considered a preferred food supply of deer. Most plants fall in the big gap between. One of the biggest variables is the available preferred food supply in a given area. If their preferred food is scarce, they will munch on most anything.
OTHER
USES
Groundcover, specimen plant, containers, borders, shade gardens, tropical effect
A search of California Poison Control, ASPCA, Texas A&M University, Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System, University of Wisconsin, Poisonous Houseplants and Ornamentals - Merck Vet Manual, Purdue University - Guide to Toxic Plants in Forages, Poisonous Plants of the Southeastern United States - Alabama Cooperative Extension, Florida Poison Control, and The Cat Fanciers Association did not show this plant on any of their lists.
There are a number of websites that rate this plant as mildly toxic, but no authorities are cited.