Curcuma longa, Essential for Asian cooking, turmeric is a herbaceous perennial with thick, aromatic rhizomes that gives the spice its distinctive orange-yellow colour.  It is a very important herbal plant in Asia where it has been used for thousands of years as folk medicine and also in various savoury dishes.  It is also used for dyeing.  It is part of the ginger family and is a tropical plant that likes humid conditions.  They grow very well in containers and make lovely potplants.