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Hedychium gardnerianum
Also called Kahili Ginger, Kahili Ginger Lily, Ginger Lily, Yellow Ginger, Himalayan Ginger, Toilet Brush Ginger
Kahili ginger is a tall, fragrant perennial from the ginger family, growing up to about 2.4 m with bright green leaves and dense spikes of yellow and red flowers in late summer. It needs warmth and shelter, and is hardy only to light frost.
Hedychium gardnerianum, the Kahili ginger, Kahila garland-lily or ginger lily, is a species of flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, native to the Himalayas in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. It is an erect herbaceous perennial growing to 8 ft (2.4 m) tall with long, bright green leaves clasping the tall stems. The very fragrant pale yellow and red flowers are held in dense spikes above the foliage. They appear towards the end of summer.
Hedychium gardnerianum is cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens and parks. It prefers a warm tropical climate, although it can thrive in sub-tropical and temperate regions as it tolerates occasional frosts. In the UK it has been given the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. It is best grown in a warm, sheltered spot where temperatures do not fall below freezing, and is given a deep mulch during the winter months. Alternatively it can be grown under glass in a well-lit conservatory or greenhouse.
Medicinal research indicates that the plant compound, villosin, in Hedychium gardnerianum has potent cytotoxicity activity against human small cell lung cancer cells.
Red Ginger Lily · White garland-lily · Cream garland-lily · Garland-lily
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Hedychium gardnerianum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.
