It only blooms two flowers at a time, commonly known as "together until old age," its tender stems are like bamboo shoots, and it is a good medicine for clearing heat and detoxifying.

In the southern regions of our country, there are many highly distinctive plants, some of which cannot be seen in the north. In Guangxi, Yunnan, Hainan and other places, there is a plant that only blooms two flowers at a time, blooming and withering at the same time, giving people a very romantic feeling, so the common name of this flower is also "together until old age." This flower has a wide range of uses. It can not only be sold to flower shops as cut flowers, but its tender stems can also be eaten. It is a good medicine for clearing heat and detoxifying, and southerners like to eat it very much.

"Together until old age" is also called water banana flower and white stone shoot. It is a plant in the ginger family, and its scientific name is "crepe ginger" (Costus speciosus). Like most plants in the ginger family, crepe ginger is also a perennial herbaceous plant, and it can often be seen growing wild in the south. In rural areas, the greatest use of crepe ginger is to eat it. Of course, it is not the flower that is eaten, but its tender stems.

Because the climate in the south is warm and humid, it is especially suitable for the growth of crepe ginger, so its tender stems can be harvested all year round. In the south, it has become a kind of green food, processed into canned goods, pickled products and dried products for sale.

The tender stems of crepe ginger look like bamboo shoots, and they mostly appear after thunderstorm weather, so people call them "thunder god shoots." The Li people of Hainan like to eat them very much, but fresh tender stems of crepe ginger are slightly toxic, so they are usually pickled into sour bamboo shoots first and then cooked in soup or eaten cold with dressing. The pickled thunder god shoots have the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, promoting urination and aiding digestion. Many southerners cannot do without them all year round. They use them to stew chicken soup and meat soup. When they feel internal heat, drinking a bowl can produce a heat-clearing and detoxifying effect.

The tender stems of crepe ginger can be eaten, and its underground roots can also be used as medicine. It is a kind of herbal medicine of ethnic minorities, and its effects are similar to those of the tender stems. For external use, it can treat skin swellings and poisons and rashes; for internal use, it can treat urinary tract infections, difficult urination and other symptoms. The underground roots are usually dug out in autumn, washed and dried before use. The underground roots of crepe ginger are also toxic, so attention should be paid to the usage and dosage when using them. It is recommended to consult a doctor before using the medicine.

However, for city people, what they like most is still its flowers. The flowers are white and elegant, and the vase life is long. Placed in water, they can bloom for more than 20 days, and they can often be seen in flower shops in southern cities. In addition, the inflorescence of crepe ginger is brightly colored and spike-shaped, making it a good material for making dried flowers. Dear readers, have you ever seen crepe ginger?