These members of the ginger family all have large, orchid-like flowers, many species having both pale yellow and purple variants. They emerge through the ground very late, typically in late May. When the flowers come, they follow in succession up the leafy stems. The fleshy roots enable the plants to form good clumps, and when happy plants will gently seed themselves, seedlings appearing close to the parent. The names alpina, longifolia and scillifolia seem to be confused, as are the plants!

Roscoea tibetica is the dwarf, no more than 10 cm high, with purple flowers. It is best kept where it is not swamped by less refined neighbours, in a cool trough or in a prize position in a bed with lots of humus.