Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants
Herbaceous Perennial

Hedychium ellipticum

shaving brush ginger

A border-line hardy, rhizomatous perennial to 1.4m tall, forming a clump of large, broadly lance-shaped leaves. In mid- to late summer it produces exotic-looking, spidery white flowers with long stamens and prominent orange anthers

Other common names
hardy ginger lily
rock butterfly lily
Buy this plant
Size
Ultimate height
1–1.5 metres
Time to ultimate height
2–5 years
Ultimate spread
0.5–1 metres
Growing conditions
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer White Green
Autumn Green
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H3
Botanical details
Family
Zingiberaceae
Native to the UK
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

Correct

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

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.