THE CUBAN FLOWER

GINGER-Hedychium Coronarium (hé-dik i-um kor-ro-nay ri-um)
Butterfly Lily.-Zones 8-10 USA
Common Ginger Lily
Herbaceous perennial

A native tuberous-rooted perennial of tropical Asia and naturalized extensively in tropical America. Also popular tropical in the extreme lower South. Thrives in a moist, fertile soil and partial shade. Fast rate of growth. Propagated by division of clumps. Divide rhizomes every three to five years.

Stiff, erect stems that rarely branch, but form a dense clump of reedy canes. Coarse texture. Stems tend to bend and droop with advanced age giving a sometimes untidy appearance.

Foliage: Alternate, simple leaves with smooth margins. Leaves eight to twenty-four inches long, two to five inches wide, oblong. Arranged along the stem in a latter pattern. Bright green. Stout stems.

Flower: Flowers on tall spikes above foliage with several flowers per cluster. Two large lobes with smaller lobes three inches across. White, tinged yellow on lower part. Lip large with broad filament, resemble butterfly wings; Summer and autumn blooming. Sweet scented.

Fruit: Bright orange, in brown floral bracts. Conspicuous in late autumn.

Landscape:
 1. Fragrant white flowers  3. Form and leaf  arrangement  5. Detail design Values:
 2. Coarse texture          4. Tropical, accent foliage    6. Perennial


Remarks:   1. This ginger requires considerable amount of water and can be
              grown with the roots in moderately wet soils.
           2. Reported to be somewhat tolerant of salt spray.
           3. Not fully hardy except in Zone 10. Foliage is killed
              back to the ground each winter in Zone 8, and severe damage
              many occur in Zone 9.
           4. Periodic cleaning of planting is necessary to clear away
              old,non-productive plants with frayed foliage. Plantings become
              untidy if not cleaned.
           5. Heavy feeders, fertilize in late winter or early spring
              just before new growth begins. Use a com-plete fertilizer such
              as a 13-13-13, or similar, at the rate of one cup of fertilizer
              per large clump.
           6. In the northern range, mulch plants heavily with three
              to four inches of leaves, pine straw or other organic matter
              during the winter months to protect against extremely low
              temperatures.
           7. Alpinia zerumbet the shell ginger produces yellow flowers
              atop stalks eight to ten feet tall with leaves two feet long.
              Very striking species.
           8. Other species:
                  H. flavum—Robust plants producing yellow-orange fragrant
                     flowers and glossy, green leaves. Five to six feet tall.
                  H. gardeneranum—Light yellow fragrant flowers with red
                     stamens on four feet stems with arching form and glossy,
                     green foliage.

FIN

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