Curcuma longa Plants GrowTropicals
Turmeric

Curcuma longa

£15.99
Pot size
12cm £15.99

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Description

Edible crop. Sold here as a food plant grown for its harvest of turmeric rhizomes, not as an ornamental.

Curcuma longa is turmeric itself, the source of the golden spice, grown here as a lush foliage houseplant. Broad, banana like leaves rise from an aromatic rhizome to make a fresh, tropical clump through summer. Honesty first: this plant goes completely dormant in winter, dying back to the compost before regrowing in spring, and that resting phase is part of its charm. It fits right in with our other houseplants.

Origins

A member of the ginger family from India and Southeast Asia, cultivated for thousands of years for the golden rhizome used in cooking, dyes and traditional medicine.

Care

Give it a warm, bright spot out of harsh midday sun and keep the compost evenly moist while it is in leaf, with the humidity our humidity loving houseplants enjoy. When the leaves yellow in autumn, let the pot dry out and rest it somewhere frost free until shoots return. Pot it in a rich, free draining mix from our substrates range.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

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How to care for Turmeric

Keep me in bright, gentle light away from harsh sun and never let me dry out completely.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
Get to know me

About Turmeric

Curcuma longa is a houseplant that takes a little effort. It needs bright indirect light, watering often enough to keep the compost evenly moist, a little extra humidity and a minimum temperature of 10°C.

Good for

Living Room Kitchen

Care level

EasyChallenge

A little effort

Light

ShadeFull sun

Bright, indirect light

Bright, indirect light with protection from harsh midday sun. Gentle morning or evening sun is welcome. Read moreShow less

Bright, indirect light with protection from harsh midday sun. Gentle morning or evening sun is welcome.

Watering

Evenly moistDries out fully

Keep evenly moist

Keep the compost evenly moist while the plant is in leaf, watering whenever the surface starts to dry. Once the foliage dies back in autumn, stop watering almost entirely and keep the dormant rhizome nearly dry until spring. Read moreShow less

Keep the compost evenly moist while the plant is in leaf, watering whenever the surface starts to dry. Once the foliage dies back in autumn, stop watering almost entirely and keep the dormant rhizome nearly dry until spring.

Humidity

Average homeHigh humidity

Prefers a little extra humidity

Prefers decent humidity. Group it with other plants or stand it on a wet pebble tray to keep the broad leaves from browning at the edges. Read moreShow less

Prefers decent humidity. Group it with other plants or stand it on a wet pebble tray to keep the broad leaves from browning at the edges.

Temperature

Keep above 10°C · Happy at normal room temperature

Warm and cosy in the growing season, ideally 18C or above. The dormant rhizome overwinters happily in a frost free spot around 10 to 15C. Read moreShow less

Warm and cosy in the growing season, ideally 18C or above. The dormant rhizome overwinters happily in a frost free spot around 10 to 15C.

Feeding

Feed monthly with a balanced fertiliser from spring to autumn, and let it rest over winter.

Growth habit

Clumping →

Plant type

Foliage houseplant →

Also known as

Curcuma longa

Genus

Curcuma →
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

My turmeric has died back. Is it dead?

No, this is completely normal. Curcuma longa goes fully dormant in autumn: the leaves yellow and collapse, and the pot looks empty until fresh shoots push up again in spring.

How do I care for it over winter?

Once the foliage dies back, stop feeding and water only just enough to stop the rhizome shrivelling, or not at all. Keep the pot frost free, around 10 to 15C, and resume normal watering when new shoots appear.

Can I harvest my own turmeric?

Yes, in time. Let the clump bulk up for a season or two, then lift a portion of rhizome at the start of dormancy and replant the rest. The fresh golden root is the same spice you buy dried.

Why are the leaf edges going brown?

Usually dry air or an underwatered pot. Turmeric likes evenly moist compost and decent humidity while in leaf, so group it with other plants or stand it on a wet pebble tray.

How big does a turmeric plant get?

Expect lush, banana like leaves reaching roughly half a metre to a metre tall in a pot by late summer. The clump spreads slowly from the rhizome rather than growing wide and unruly.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Meet the family

Everything about Curcuma

Curcuma is a flowering ginger that rests over winter. Our Siam tulip guide explains light, watering, dormancy and dividing the rhizome for reliable blooms.

More about Curcuma care
Curcuma Care Guide
Why Grow Tropicals

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Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

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Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Curcuma longa
£15.99