The ginger lily (Hedychium coronarium) isn’t a true lily but a rhizomatous member of the ginger family. Some folks know it as butterfly ginger because when its pure white blooms open fully, the spreading petals remind you of a butterfly’s wings. They release an intoxicating, sweet scent, which some compare to honeysuckle. They’re excellent for cutting and bringing indoors. A cluster of flowers atop a cut stalk placed in a vase opens one by one, perfuming a room for up to a week.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Hedychium coronarium, the white garland-lily or white ginger lily, is a perennial flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, native to the forest understorey of Asia.
Other common names include butterfly lily, fragrant garland flower, Indian garland flower, white butterfly ginger lily or white ginger.
It is an upright perennial which may reach 1–3 m (3.3–9.8 ft) in height. It has long pointed leaves, with heavily scented white flowers with yellow bases. In its native environment flowering occurs between August and December.
It is evergreen in warmer climates, but deciduous in mild winter temperate regions of North America and Europe. In the UK it is rated by the Royal Horticultural Society as hardy down to −5 °C (23 °F) in mild or coastal areas (H3).
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Plant ginger lilies in an area with four or fewer hours of direct daily sunlight. When exposed to too much sun, ginger lily plants’ leaves curl. Shaded areas are best, especially ones protected from other environmental elements like strong winds.
Temperature and Humidity
Ginger lilies grow best in subtropical climates with hot and humid summers. While technically a hardy plant, these flowers are frost-tender. When cold weather hits the stalks, it will kill them as they can’t withstand the low temperatures. If you wonder why you’ve never seen or smelled ginger lily, it could be you live too far north. It’s winter-hardy from USDA Zone 7B south. Some people in colder climates grow it next to a sunny window as a houseplant.
Watering
Balancing moist soil is essential when watering ginger lilies. You don’t want to overwater it, but new plants need watering several times a week until the roots settle. Ginger lily plants are not drought-tolerant, so continuous watering is essential if you live in an area that does not see a lot of rainfall.
Soil
Well-drained soil is most important for ginger lilies to thrive. If the roots are too water-logged, they can distort, rot, or develop incorrectly. Ginger lily needs fertile, acidic soil, rich and filled with organic matter that’s consistently moist or even wet. The edge of a pond or stream is perfect. It tolerates full sun in moist soil, but a light shade is preferable.
Fertilizing
Feed your ginger lily with a balanced liquid plant fertilizer once per month during the growing season. Fertilize the day after a good watering to avoid burning the plant’s roots. Stop watering when the plant dies back in the fall, then begin fertilizing again when new growth appears in spring.
Pruning
Prune your ginger lily throughout the season to help maintain beautiful blooms. If one of the flowers on the stalk is wilted or not showing correctly, remove it to save the rest of the foliage. After blooms fade, you can pinch the individual flowers off. You can start preparing for winter by cutting back the stalks below the closest flower bloom when flowering is complete for the season.
After the first autumn frost, use a lopper to cut the stems or stalks right above the soil level. Pruning ginger lilies help protect them from the upcoming harsh winter weather by insulating the plant’s top with mulch.
Propagation
Since ginger lily spreads through its roots, to prevent overcrowding, you need to keep the roots in check by digging some up—This is frequently why ginger lily is a pass-along plant, as someone can propagate these roots into their garden. Propagate in early spring or fall. There are several ways to propagate ginger lily. Here’s how:
Propagate with Seeds
- Start by collecting seeds from your variety of ginger lilies. For example, white ginger lily’s seeds are bright red. Keep seeds in at least 70°F for three to four weeks.
- Soak seeds in warm water for around two hours to soften the seed’s hard coats.
- Plant seeds in a half-an-inch deep container. The container should have moist soil in a light area that’s constantly warm—around 70°F. If planting outdoors, choose a sunny location with neutral soil composition. Cover and water generously. Don’t plant outside if the temperatures might drop below 40°F.
- Seeds should start new growth in two to six weeks, but depending on the variety, it might be longer.
Propagate with Rhizomes
- Dip up clumps of healthy ginger lily using a flat-bladed shovel. Be careful not to cut the side roots. Choose areas at least eight inches wide that have a growing shoot.
- Do not break the rhizome. Make clean cuts to divide rhizomes with a knife.
- Use a fungicide powder or solution to soak rhizome divisions for at least 30 minutes or preferably overnight.
- Plant the rhizome divisions horizontally in one to three inches of rich, organic soil. Leave an area poking out from under the soil line. You can use a container or plant outside, depending on the weather.
- Keep soil moist but not soggy, so the ginger lily doesn’t develop fungal rot. After water maintenance and sunlight, plant shoots will grow from the rhizome divisions.
- Remember that specific ginger lily varieties may be trademarked and, therefore, illegal to propagate.
How to Grow from Seed
- Start by collecting seeds. A few weeks before the final spring frost is a good time to plant ginger lilies.
- Soak the seeds in warm water for at least two hours before planting.
- Plant the seeds in a compost mixture of moist soil. The container should have moist soil in a light area that’s constantly warm—around 70°F. If planting outdoors, choose a sunny location with neutral soil composition. Cover and water generously. Don’t plant outside if the temperatures might drop below 40°F.
- Seeds should start new growth in two to six weeks, but depending on the variety, it might be longer.
Overwintering
To protect ginger lilies from cold weather and frost, relocate them to container pots and continue to grow them in a space that can stay above 40°F.
If you want to protect your plants for next year and can’t store them over the winter in containers, store the rhizomes in paper bags. Keep them in a cool, dry place.
Pests and Diseases
Common Pests & Plant Diseases
Ginger lily can be affected by common plant pests like spider mites, scale, and aphids. Bacterial wilt can affect ginger lily, infecting the rhizome and causing leaves to turn yellow and wilt. Root rot caused by overly wet conditions can also affect the plant.
Common Problems
Ginger lily is generally a problem-free plant, but you’ll want to watch out for these common problems.
Curling Leaves
Curling leaves indicate that your ginger lily is receiving too much sun. Prevent this by choosing a location that receives direct sun only in the morning or a location with partial shade or dappled shade.
Leaves Turning Brown
Brown edges on a ginger lily can indicate that the plant isn’t receiving enough water. Water the plant more often and consider mulching outdoor plants to prevent the soil from drying out in hot weather.
Drooping Leaves
A bacterial wilt infection can cause ginger lily leaves to yellow and droop. Dig up, bag, and dispose of infected rhizomes and soil, then disinfect gardening tools to keep from spreading the bacteria. Avoid planting similar plants in that area for at least 18 months. Prevent bacterial wilt by planting disease-free seed rhizomes from a reputable source.
How to Get to Bloom
Ginger Lily blooms from August to September, very fragrant with a rich, sweet, and ginger-like smell. These blooms can thrive for weeks in moist, well-drained soil, especially when planted in a shady area.
You can encourage new growth by pinching off flowers that start to wilt. If you want to use ginger lily for indoor decor, cut the blooms right after they open—this helps ensure it is fragrant. If you want to deadhead flowers, you can, but you should still remove the rest of the stalk in preparation for winter. Spikes and foliage can become compost when cut into manageable pieces.
III. Types of Ginger Lily
When it became popular in the Victorian period, ginger lilies could only be grown in heated greenhouses. Today, there are more than 100 cultivars with better hardiness, longer bloom periods, and flowers in shades of white, yellow, orange, and peach.
- White ginger lily (Hedychium coronarium): The white ginger lily tends to be the most commonly available at plant nurseries and garden centers, with aromatic flowers in creamy white standing out against lush dark green foliage.
- Hedychium ‘Daniel Weeks’: This particularly long-flowering hybrid ginger lily features flowers with pale edges and deep golden centers. It’s one of the longest-blooming varieties, beginning as early as late July in cooler regions of the plant’s growth area and continuing till fall frost.
- Hedychium ‘Anne Bishop’: This orange ginger lily cultivar is a high-performing hybrid from Hawaii with large green leaves and a pleasant aroma. Its flowers start out deep orange in the heat of summer and lighten to a yellower orange as temperatures cool.
IV. Uses and Benefits
- The essential oil from the flowers of the Hedychium Coronarium species and others in the same genus is highly valued because it is used to make expensive perfumes.
- A Hedychium Coronarium root extract is used as a skin conditioner, tonic, and masking agent in commercial cosmetic products. The dried and powdered plant is used as a skin conditioner in commercial cosmetic preparations.
- The Hedychium Coronarium root contains 1.7% essential oil that is used for medicinal purposes.
Medicinal uses
- Hedychium Coronarium seeds have aromatic, carminative, and stomachic properties. The anti-inflammatory, stimulating, and restorative effects of the root are all well-documented.
- High-temperature fevers are treated by using the ground rhizome. Chest and arm pain can be relieved using a decoction.
- Essential oil extracted from the Hedychium Coronarium’s roots is carminative and has deworming uses.
- Tonsillitis can be treated by gargling a decoction made from the lower part of the stem or by chewing on a piece of the stem.
- The dried, powdered rhizomes can be used as an antiseptic.
- Ginger lily rootstalk is used to treat liver problems, indigestion, and poor circulation caused by thickened blood. It is also used to treat bronchitis.
