Nature Field Guide
Red Button Ginger
- Spanish name
- Caña agria roja
- Scientific name
- Costus woodsonii
What Do Pico & Tati Think?
Pico wants to sketch the plant’s shapes. Tati suggests looking for three clues before guessing its name. What would you notice first?
Species overview
About the Red Button Ginger
Red button ginger is a native coastal plant especially associated with Costa Rica's Caribbean shore. Its shiny red cone is made of bracts, not one large red flower. Small yellow to orange flowers emerge from the cone, and leaves spiral along the stem.
Identification
Key Features of the Red Button Ginger
Shiny red terminal cone
Small flowers emerging between bracts
Leaves spiraling along the stem
Habitat & range
Coastal scrub, beach margins and gardens.
Local observations
The Costa Rican plant manual documents the Caribbean shore from Tortuguero to Talamanca; the National Museum records Cahuita. Regional tags are evidence-based connections, not a guarantee at every location or an exhaustive range.
When to observe
Visit in daylight and compare leaves, flowers and fruits. Flowering and fruiting vary by place, weather and individual plant; a plant may not be in bloom during your visit.
Conservation & care
Observe from paths and leave leaves, bark, flowers and fruits attached. Do not taste wild plants or offer them to pets. Ask a knowledgeable guide to confirm the species.
Observation activity
Draw one leaf and one other feature without picking anything. Compare your sketch with the illustration and record whether you saw flowers, fruits or neither.