Plant of the Month: October
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Hedychium coccineum 'Tara'
Common name: Ginger lily
Family: Zingibereaceae
Vital statistics
Height and spread: 3m (10ft) x 1m (39in).
Form: Rhizomatous perennial.
Soil: Humus-rich, moist but well drained.
Aspect: Full sun or partial shade.
Hardiness: Frost hardy down to -5ºC (23ºF). |
Hedychium coccineum 'Tara' @ Rosemoor
Several groups of this lovely, but rather tender ginger lily are growing in Rosemoor's Rock Gully area, which affords them the ideal protected environment they need to survive and thrive.
Hedychium
This genus contain approximately 50 species of rhizomatous perennials from moist, lightly wooded areas of tropical Asia, the Himalayan region and possibly Madagascar. They have naturalised elsewhere, and one species is considered to be a serious pest in New Zealand.
The rhizomes are stout and fleshy and the leaves are lance-shaped, like those of canna lilies, and borne on cane-like stems.
Ginger lilies are grown for their foliage and their exotic, colourful, fragrant flowerheads which appear in summer or autumn and consist of spikes of tubular flowers with prominent anthers, in shades of yellow, pink and red. The flowers are followed by fruits containing sometimes colourful seeds.
Hedychium looks effective when planted in groups next to water, or in a mixed border.
Hedychium coccineum
This Himalayan ginger lily is an erect herbaceous perennial, up to 3m (10ft) in height. It has long, lance-shaped, mid-green leaves up to 30-50cm (12-20in) in length.
The pink, orange or red, fragrant, tubular flowers are borne in terminal, cylindrical racemes, up to 25cm (10in) long, in autumn.
Hedychium coccineum 'Tara' has large spikes of dense, fragrant, orange trumpet-shaped flowers with prominent darker orange stamens.
AGM
The RHS Floral C Committee awarded Hedychium coccineum an Award of Garden Merit and described it as: Rhizomatous perennial to 2m or more, with lance-shaped leaves to 20cm long and fragrant, scarlet tubular flowers with prominent stamens, borne in upright terminal racemes.
| The RHS Floral C Committee awarded Hedychium coccineum 'Tara' an Award of Garden Merit and described it as: Erect herbaceous perennial with stems to 2m tall, bearing lance-shaped leaves 30-40cm long. Fragrant, orange flowers with prominent dark stamens are borne in dense terminal spikes up to 25cm long. |
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Cultivation
Outdoors, grow in humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in sun or partial shade, with shelter from cold winds and a deep winter mulch.
Under glass or in a large pot, grow in loam-based (John Innes No 3) potting compost in bright indirect light with good ventilation and high humidity. Water freely in the growing season and apply a balanced fertilizer monthly.
Remove old stems as they deteriorate to encourage new growth.
Ginger lilies are prone to red spider mites and aphids if cultivated under glass.
Propagation
Divide rhizomes in spring.