Eastern spiked ginger, Spiked ginger lily
Hedychium spicatum

Family: Zingiberaceae

What it is like

A ginger family herb. The false stem is about 1 m tall. The leaves do not have leaf stalks or they are short. The leaf blade is oblong or sword shaped and 10-40 cm long by 3-10 cm wide. They taper to the tip. The flower spikes can be 20 cm long. There can be a few loose flowers or many densely packed flowers. The bracts are oblong surrounding one flower. The flowers have a smell. The flowers are yellowish but sometimes purplish red at the tip. The fruit is a capsule which is half round and 1.5-2.5 cm across. It has 3 valves. There are about 6 seeds in each valve. Varieties are described on how many flowers they have.

There are about 50 Hedychium species.

Where it is found

A tropical and subtropical plant. It grows in forests between 1200-3200 m altitude in S China. It suits hardiness zones 8-11. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Bhutan, China, Hawaii, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Myanmar, Nepal, Northeastern India, Pacific, SE Asia, Sikkim, Thailand, Tibet, USA

How it is used for food

The tuberous roots or rhizomes are edible and used as a spice.

Edible parts

Fruit, tubers, root, shoots

How it is grown

Plants are grown by division of the clump.

Its other names

Local names

Ai-thur, Cao guo yao, Gandhashati, Kapur, Karpurakachali, Kapurkachari, Kapurakachari, Kunsa-gamon-akyi, Saro, Shaildu, Sheduri, Shimai-kichchilik-kishangu, Sitruti, Takhellei hangampal, Telli, White ginger lily

Synonyms

Gandasulium sieboldii (Wall.) Kuntze; Gandasulium spicatum (Sm.) Kuntze; Hedychium acuminatum Roscoe; Hedychium album Buch.Ham. ex Wall.; and others