Photo by Nathan Beane; illustration by Mary Kalusche
The white ginger lily (Hedychium coronarium), a majestically fragranced plant, is a close relative of the culinary ginger. In fact, both root and flowers are reported as edible, the roots with a similar taste to true ginger and the flowers with a unique ginger-mint flavor.
As if the large, delicate flowers weren’t enough for their aesthetic qualities, this plant has a wonderful fragrance, very similar to Gardenia. To me, the fragrance is even sweeter and lingers in the air for longer periods, particularly late in the afternoon. Although a host of nectar feeders will seek out this plant, including hummingbirds, the most radiant visitations will be by moths after dusk. A common visitor is the five-spotted hawk moth, which exhibits a wing span up to five inches and requires a long straw-like mouthpart that uncoils to reach the base of the long corolla of the ginger lily, a fascinating sight to see. These moths are common. As caterpillars, they are the tomato hornworms we often seek to rid from our garden each year. Once you see them as adults, performing their nighttime ritual of pollination, hopefully you will reconsider removal methods from your tomato plants.
Ginger lilies serve as an excellent backdrop or border around the deck or patio at your home. They attain heights of up to 5 feet and have long, strap-like leaves that resemble a corn stalk. As they are a tropical species, ginger lilies fade out as winter approaches and will die back to the ground. At the end of the growing season, simply cut back dead stalks and lightly mulch. They will come right back each spring. This perennial plant grows fast, likes partial sunlight and moist, organic rich ground. Also, the rootstock can be easily divided and given to friends or transplanted in your own yard. So if you’re interested in creating a garden that smells as good as it looks, consider adding the ginger lily to your landscape.
BY Nathan Beane
PHOTOGRAPHY Nathan Beane
ILLUSTRATION Mary Kalusche
