This talk focus on both the natural and manmade hybrids of the families of the Zingiberales. Hybrids are often looked down upon by purists yet they occur in nature and are important in the evolution of plants. For the commercial trade, hybrids are extremely important in improving crops and creating new products. Some Zingiberales have been hybridized for a long time while others are a relatively new area.

The Commercial trade of zingiberales has gone through several changes in recent years. Increased supply and demand has been created through different means. Tissue Culture and the use of the internet are major sources for these changes. These issues and others are discussed as well as future directions for the commercial trade.

Tim Chapman joins us from Louisiana.

Tim has been collecting and growing ornamental gingers since he was a young teenager. His main interest then, and still is, in the gingers but he is very interested in ornamental bananas as well. Given a big enough greenhouse or a tropical environment, he'd grow all of the Zingiberales. Tim operates a mailorder nursery, Gingerwood Nursery. He is actively collecting and breeding new gingers. In 1994, Tim wrote the first version of his book Ornamental Gingers: A guide to cultivation and selection, followed by the second edition a year later. Currently, he is working on a reference site for Gingers and bananas, as well as an on-line forum to help bring collectors together and to educate the public.