Hedychium 'Helen Dillon'

RHS Plant Profile

ginger lily 'Helen Dillon'

RHS

Synonyms

Hedychium forrestii misapplied

Herbaceous Perennial

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A rhizomatous perennial to 1.5m tall, forming a clump of upright stems and large, broadly lance-shaped leaves to 50cm long. In late summer it produces exotic-looking, fragrant, spidery white flowers with orange stamens

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Loam, Sand

Max Height

1.5-2.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 2–5 years
Max Spread: 0.5-1 metres
Max Height: 1.5-2.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H4

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Flower

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Zingiberaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Genus: Hedychium are rhizomatous perennials with erect, unbranched stems bearing two ranks of lance-shaped leaves, and dense terminal racemes of showy, often fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers
Name Status: Unresolved

How to Grow

Cultivation

Outdoors, grow in humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in full sun in warm and sheltered site. Provide a deep, dry winter mulch. Under glass grow in peat-free, loam-based potting compost in bright, filtered light. Water freely in the growing season and apply a balanced liquid fertiliser every 2 weeks; water sparingly in winter

Propagation

Propagate by seed or division of rhizomes in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Architectural
City and courtyard gardens
Patio and container plants
Sub-tropical
Conservatory and greenhouse

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite and aphids

Diseases

Generally disease-free