August's Flower of the Month

Butterfly Ginger

(Hedychium coronarium)

Everyone in the neighborhood knows when my butterfly gingers start blooming. Flowers resembling white butterflies flutter atop tall, unbranched stems. Their fragrance wafts on the currents of warm, humid air and pervades the whole area. Beginning in midsummer and continuing through the fall, many flowers emerge from the green bracts. In fall the flowers give way to showy seed pods full of bright red seeds.  

Although new cultivars of these gingers appear on the market with regularity, I have seen the white butterfly ginger listed as an old Southern heirloom and pass-along plant. I remember going to Grandmother’s house on Sunday afternoons and finding a bouquet of ginger lilies on her mantel which perfumed the whole room. 

Tropical-looking, lance-shaped leaves are borne alternately the length of the stem. White butterfly ginger grows 4-6 feet tall and wide in favorable circumstances. It spreads by thick, underground rhizomes and forms dense clumps. Foliage dies back in winter but re-emerges each spring. 

Culture  

Gingers perform best in partial shade and prefer rich, moist soil. Use balanced slow-release fertilizer when growth begins in spring. Gingers are easy to share. Just cut off a piece of rhizome, being sure that it has a growing point or “eye.” Let the cut heal for a few days, then replant. Dig rhizomes at any time and divide them. Cut them into eight-inch pieces and replant. 

Kinds 

About 50 genera and almost 1,500 species (65 species of Hedychium alone) of gingers are known to horticulturists. One of the most well-known is the culinary ginger (Zingiber officinale).  

Butterfly ginger has several cultivars which range in color from white to pink, yellow, orange, red, and salmon, as well as eye-catching combinations of these colors. ‘Maximum’ has large, white flowers with pale yellow stamens. ‘Pink-V’ and ‘Elizabeth’ bear pink flowers, and ‘Mickey Mouse’ has bright orange flowers. ‘Tropic Bird’ reaches only 18 inches tall and is topped with pale yellow flowers. Another species is Hedychium gardneranium, the Kahili ginger, with yellow flowers and orange stamens. Some of the cultivars can be quite pricy, but they make a substantial addition to the garden. 

Other members of the ginger family include pinecone ginger (Zingiber zerumbet) which has leaves similar to the butterfly ginger. Showy bracts resembling green pine cones emerge from the ground on their own stem. As they mature, they turn bright red. Shell ginger (Alpinia sp.) blooms showy flowers if they do not get killed back in the winter. A variegated form is especially popular in our area. Spiral gingers (Costus sp.) bear yellow, white, pink, or orange flowers atop whorled foliage. Dancing girl ginger (Globba winitii) grows 1-2 feet tall and blooms reliably each year. Hidden ginger (Curcuma sp.) is attractive in the landscape with its large, banana-like leaves and showy bracts that are sometimes hidden by the foliage. Peacock ginger (Kaempferia) is prized for its showy leaves and is a low-growing plant often used as a groundcover.

 At a Glance

Common name: White butterfly ginger

Scientific name: Hedychium coronarium

Family: Zingiberaceae (Ginger)

Origin: Southern Himalayas, China, Burma, and Thailand

Hardiness: USDA Zones 7B-11

Some relatives: Curcuma, Zingiber, Costus

Salt tolerance: Moderate

Size: 4-6/4-6 feet tall/wide

Propagation: Division of rhizomes

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