Hedychium ellipticum

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shaving brush ginger

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Other common names

hardy ginger lily, rock butterfly lily

Herbaceous Perennial
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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

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

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

Growing Conditions

Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
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)
H3

Colour & Scent

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
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