Butterfly Ginger, White garland-lily, Garland Flower, Butterfly Lily
Hedychium coronarium
Family: Zingiberaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: White. Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Early fall, Late summer, Late spring, Mid summer, Mid fall. Form: Upright or erect.
Hedychium coronarium is a PERENNIAL growing to 1.5 m (5ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in flower from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.
Height (m): 1.5
Where it is found
Moist places along streams and on forest edges.
E. Asia - India.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Young buds and flowers are eaten or used as a flavouring. Root - cooked. A famine food used when all else fails.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The seed is aromatic, carminative and stomachic. The root is antirheumatic, excitant and tonic. The ground rhizome is used as a febrifuge. An essential oil from the roots is carminative and has anthelmintic indications. The plant has been used as a remedy for foetid nostril.
Antirheumatic: Treats rheumatism.
Aromatic: Having an agreeable odour and stimulant qualities.
Carminative: Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.
Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.
Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating: 0
The stems contain 43 - 48% cellulose and are useful in making paper. An essential oil obtained from the flowers is valued in high grade perfumes. The root contains 1.7% essential oil, which is used medicinally.
Essential: Essential oils that are used in perfumery, medicines, paint solvents, insect repellents etc.
Paper: Related to the entry for Fibre, these plants have been specifically mentioned for paper making.
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Border, Container, Ground cover, Massing. Requires a rich moist soil and a sunny position. It succeeds in shallow water and can also be grown in a sunny border as a summer sub-tropical bedding plant. Plants are not very hardy, they tolerate temperatures down to about -2°c and can be grown at the foot of a south-facing wall in the milder areas of Britain if given a good mulch in the winter. The flowers have a delicious perfume which is most pronounced towards evening. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits. The tubers should be only just covered by soil. Special Features: Not North American native, Naturalizing, Attracts butterflies, Fragrant flowers, Attractive flowers or blooms.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a warm greenhouse at 18°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on for at least their first winter in the greenhouse. Plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts. Division as growth commences in the spring. Dig up the clump and divide it with a sharp spade or knife, making sure that each division has a growing shoot. Larger clumps can be planted out direct into their permanent positions, but it is best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a greenhouse until they are established. Plant them out in the summer or late in the following spring.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Bog Garden; Cultivated Beds; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 8-11
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Moist, wet