Hedychium coccineum Tara - Ginger Lily Pot

Hedychium coccineum 'Tara', also known as the Red Ginger Lily, is a magnificent perennial ornamental ginger with a highly exotic appearance, yet remarkably hardy. This plant, whose luxuriance is reminiscent of that of Cannas, develops strong, slender, but flexible stems adorned with long, glossy green leaves, and produces large cylindrical spikes of light butterfly-like flowers in late summer, in a yellow-orange colour. A centerpiece in a tropical-inspired border!

Hedychium coccineum is a plant belonging to the Zingiberaceae family (ginger), with rhizomatous roots, native to mountainous areas in southern China (Guangxi, Tibet, Yunnan), the Himalayas, India, and Indochina. It grows on the edge of forests and in high-altitude meadows, preferring open spaces rather than the depths of the undergrowth. The 'Tara' cultivar is particularly hardy, producing numerous bright orange flowers. 'Tara' will eventually form an imposing clump, 70 to 90cm (28 to 35in) wide, consisting of leafy stems that can reach up to 1.20m (4ft) in height. Flowering occurs in late August in mild climates, and in September elsewhere. The inflorescence, which can measure up to 30cm (12in), is composed of numerous small light orange flowers, somewhat resembling those of Gauras with their compound structure of small petals surrounding prominent stamens, measuring 7cm (3in) in length. They attract many bees. The leaves, opposite, long and narrow, light green and glossy, are arranged somewhat in a fishbone pattern. The plant disappears in autumn but regrows from the roots in spring.

These superb perennial plants, which we use abundantly in our exotic garden, thrive in rich, deep soil and require a constant water supply during the growing season, as well as a warm exposure, as the flowers, all more or less fragrant, bloom late in our garden. In warmer regions, they may appear as early as August. In the garden, one can create a tropical-inspired border, for example by combining Hedychium 'Tara' with a Chinese palm, a Japanese Banana Tree, against a backdrop of a giant Canna. In mild climates, the 'Tara' ornamental ginger will accompany the flowering of Abutilons, Cassia, Lantana Brugmansia, or even the lesser-known Iochroma cyaneum.