Hedychium gardnerianum - Ginger Lily

The Hedychium gardnerianum, sometimes called longose or Kahili ginger, is undoubtedly the most widely cultivated ornamental ginger in the world, far beyond its native Himalayas. This lush rhizomatous species seduces amateur gardeners with its beautiful, exuberant foliage and superbly fragrant flowering in late summer, in the form of long upright floral spikes, in a column of pale yellow spider-like flowers, sometimes orange, enhanced by long bright red stamens. A very beautiful plant for the terrace or the edge of a water point in mild climates.

The Hedychium gardnerianum, native to Nepal, the Himalayas, and Bhutan, naturally grows in marshy areas, under mild or tropical temperate climates. It belongs to the Zingiberaceae family. It is a somewhat hardy species, deciduous in winter, tolerating brief periods of frost, down to -7°C (19.4°F). At maturity, this plant with thick and tough rhizome, with rather slow growth, will form an elongated tuft, 1.50m (5ft) high and 80-90cm (32-35in) wide in our climates (or grown in a pot). It consists of leafy canes whose lanceolate, green to dark green leaves, alternate, are wide, full, and sheathing. Flowering takes place in August-September in mild climates, in autumn elsewhere. The very long-lasting inflorescence, which can measure up to 15cm (6in) in length, is composed of numerous small, pleasantly fragrant, soft yellow to orange flowers, somewhat resembling those of gauras with their compound structure of small petals surrounding prominent, 7cm (3in) long bright red stamens. They attract many bees. The plant disappears in autumn but regrows from the stump in spring.

The Hedychium gardnerianum is considered, in Hawaii, as an invasive evergreen plant, the equivalent of Buddleja that colonises wastelands in our region. In most of Europe there is little risk of it invading your neighbour's garden because the winter cold makes it deciduous. Cultivate them in large pots or in the ground only in regions protected from heavy frost. In the garden, you can create a tropical-inspired bed, for example by combining Hedychium ellipticum with a Chinese palm tree, a Japanese banana tree, against a backdrop of giant cannas. In mild climates, the ornamental ginger will accompany the flowering of abutilons, cassia, lantana, brugmansia, or even the lesser-known Iochroma cyaneum.