Butterfly Ginger – Butterfly Lily – Common Ginger Lily – Hedychium coronarium
This tropical herbaceous perennial, originated in tropical Asia. Reportedly introduced to New Orleans before 1860. This ginger is not a true ginger although it is in the same family as the ginger we eat. It is used for medicinal purposes in tropical countries. Blooms summer to fall with very fragrant white flowers. The flowers look like butterflies. This plant is good for shady Louisiana gardens.
The plant is tall and grows from 4 to 6 feet x 3 feet. The leaves are 8 to 24 inches long and 2 to 5 inches wide with medium green color. Plant rhizomes or transplants in late March to August. Transplant anytime during the summer but keep watered. Plants do well in fertile moist soil and benefit from mulch. Water weekly during dry weather. Fertilize with one cup of a complete fertilizer per large plant clump in April and July. The flowers have two large lobes with smaller lobes 3 inches across. Flowers are white with tinged yellow on lower part. It has a large lip with broad filament that look like butterfly wings. In late autumn it produces bright orange fruit.
Foliage is killed by light to medium frost but returns. Butterfly ginger requires some cleaning as some stalks become untidy and nonproductive. The tall stalks should be cut down to the ground after bloom as they tend to lean over. Divide clumps of rhizomes every 3 to 5 years to keep plants looking tidy.
A few other species are:
- H. flavum with yellow-orange fragrant flowers 5 to 6 feet tall.
- H. gardeneranum with light yellow fragrant flowers with red stamens 4 feet tall with arching canes and likes full sun to bloom.
- H. coccineum ‘Aurantiacum’ with tall pink flowers and reblooms during summer.
submitted by Karen Blackburn