Family: Costaceae

Costus pictus, commonly known as painted spiral ginger or spotted spiral ginger, is a tropical ornamental plant native to Central America and parts of Mexico. It is admired for its striking spiral arrangement of broad, glossy green leaves marked with pale spots, and for its showy orange to yellow flowers that attract pollinators. This clumping, upright ginger relative is often grown in Hawaiʻi as a landscape accent or container plant, especially in shaded or partially shaded gardens. In addition to its ornamental value, Costus pictus is sometimes cultivated in other regions for traditional medicinal uses, though in Hawaiʻi it is primarily valued for its visual appeal.

At present, Costus pictus is considered Low Risk in Hawaiʻi. It is not known to aggressively spread or invade native ecosystems, and it typically remains where it is planted, spreading slowly by underground rhizomes rather than by prolific seed production. While any non-native plant should be grown thoughtfully, there is currently no evidence that painted spiral ginger poses a significant threat to Hawaiʻi’s natural areas. With responsible planting and basic garden management, it can be enjoyed as a low-risk ornamental choice in local landscapes.

High Risk Traits:

• Thrives in tropical climates
  
• Possibly naturalized in India and Puerto Rico
  
• Other Costus species have naturalized and may be invasive
  
• Tolerates many soil conditions
  
• Reproduces by seeds and vegetatively by rhizomes
  
• Flowers at 2 years, but may be able to reproduce vegetatively at an earlier age
  
• Lack of ecological information minimizes accuracy of risk prediction

Low Risk Traits:

• No evidence of invasiveness outside native range
  
• Unarmed (no spines, thorns or burrs)
  
• Ornamental value
  
• Hummingbird-pollinated in native range (may limit seed set where hummingbirds are absent)
  
• Limited or lacking seed production may minimize longer distance dispersal