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HEDYCHIUM




Archive entry 22.10.23

Hedychium is a large genus that attracts a large and obsessive horticultural following. I am one of them. Run, flee, save yourselves. The species also cross pollinate freely, and a wide variety of hybrids have been developed in cultivation or found growing in the wild. The wild species are often interfertile, but from time to time they decline to co-operate.

In the open ground in the UK they often fail to flower. The evergreen varieties in particular require a longer growing season than is usual here. Developing flower buds in October or November are killed by cold weather.


This is my Hedychium house, a large greenhouse on the south wall of my house. Most of my Hedychiums are grown here at some stage during the year. The deciduous species are stacked in here for the winter, and spend the summer in a poly tunnel. The tropical species spend the summer in here, and the winter on my windowsills. The greenhouse is already overfull, and as the plants expand, the problems increase.

Sooner or later a new greenhouse will be needed.

One consequence of having a lot of plants crammed into a tiny greenhouse in the winter, is that I do not have as many pictures of plants in flower as I would like. I could copy other people's photos, but you could use a search engine and find them for yourself as easily, so instead I am settling for the option of adding my own poor photo's of leaves and stems where I have nothing better to offer. Think of them less as informative or attractive, and more as a way of filling space while the plants come up to flower! Thanks for your patience.

For more information, a wonderful and informative book on hardy gingers has just been published:
'Hardy Gingers, including Hedychium, Roscoea and Zingiber.' by T.M.E.Branney, Royal Horticultural Society Plant Collector Guide , Published by Timber Press, 2005.

The most excellent source of information online is Dave Skinners marvellous site, well worth a look. Le Jardin Ombrage

Once the plants outgrew the space in the conservatory, a new greenhouse had to be found, and this was home during 2006/7, but this greenhouse is only a bit over six feet tall, and the Hedychium had no intention of staying that small. This picture taken at the end of July 2007 shows them pushing at the roof.

At the very last moment in September 2007 I finally finished the new Hedychium house and moved the plants in, where they are appreciating the extra head room! By the end of the first season Hedychium maximum and Hedychium stenopetalum had both reached the roof, but it looks like the height will be sufficient.

  • Hedychium 'Ann Bishop'
  • Hedychium 'Apricot'
  • Hedychium 'Ayo'
  • Hedychium 'Beni Oran'
  • Hedychium 'Betty Ho'
  • Hedychium 'Big Betty'
  • Hedychium 'Borneo Dwarf'
  • Hedychium 'Brandie Saito'
  • Hedychium brevicaule
  • Hedychium 'C.P.Raffill
  • Hedychium 'Carnival'
  • Hedychium 'Cherry Blossom'
  • Hedychium chrysoleucum
  • Hedychium coccineum
  • Hedychium coccineum angustifolium
  • Hedychium coccineum angustifolium 'Peach'
  • Hedychium coccineum aurantiacum
  • Hedychium coccineum aurantiacum 'Flaming Torch'
  • Hedychium coccineum BSWJ 5238
  • Hedychium coccineum 'Dexter'
  • Hedychium coccineum 'Disney'
  • Hedychium coccineum "Form 1"
  • Hedychium coccineum "Form 4"
  • Hedychium coccineum 'Hardy Exotics'
  • Hedychium coccineum 'In Excess'
  • Hedychium coccineum "Narrow Leaf"
  • Hedychium coccineum 'Orange Brush'
  • Hedychium coccineum "Pink Flower"
  • Hedychium coccineum 'Thai Orange'
  • Hedychium coccineum 'Thai Spirit'
  • Hedychium consanguineum
  • Hedychium 'Corelli'
  • Hedychium coronarium
  • Hedychium coronarium 'Andromeda'
  • Hedychium coronarium 'Gold Spot'
  • Hedychium coronarium var maximum
  • Hedychium 'Coronata Crema'
  • Hedychium 'Daniel Weeks'
  • Hedychium 'Dave Case'
  • Hedychium densiflorum
  • Hedychium densiflorum ADS 582
  • Hedychium densiflorum 'Assam Orange'
  • Hedychium densiflorum B2
  • Hedychium densiflorum Embossed leaf
  • Hedychium densiflorum EN 562
  • Hedychium densiflorum 'Kalimpong Gold'
  • Hedychium densiflorum 'Kalimpong Yellow'
  • Hedychium densiflorum LS&H 17393
  • Hedychium densiflorum 'MW'
  • Hedychium densiflorum 'Sorung'
  • Hedychium densiflorum 'Stephen'
  • Hedychium densiflorum 'Stephen Variegated'
  • Hedychium densiflorum UK4
  • Hedychium 'Devon Cream'
  • Hedychium 'Doi Chiang Dao'
  • Hedychium 'Double Eagle'
  • Hedychium 'Dr Moy'
  • Hedychium efilamentosum
  • Hedychium elatum
  • Hedychium 'Elizabeth'
  • Hedychium ellipticum
  • Hedychium ellipticum "Green Bracted Form"
  • Hedychium ellipticum "Red Bracted Form"
  • Hedychium "Fake Tara"
  • Hedychium 'Filigree'
  • Hedychium flavescens
  • Hedychium flavum
  • Hedychium flavum hybrid
  • Hedychium forrestii (Diels)
  • Hedychium forrestii (Hort)
  • Hedychium 'Gahili'
  • Hedychium 'Gardner Waters'
  • Hedychium gardnerianum
  • Hedychium gardnerianum 'Annette'
  • Hedychium gardnerianum 'Bhutanese Kahili'
  • Hedychium gardnerianum BSWJ 2524
  • Hedychium gardnerianum BSWJ 7155
  • Hedychium gardnerianum "Clone 1"
  • Hedychium gardnerianum 'Compactum'
  • Hedychium gardnerianum "Hannays of Bath"
  • Hedychium gardnerianum 'Kalimpong'
  • Hedychium gardnerianum 'Kenneggy'
  • Hedychium gardnerianum pallidum
  • Hedychium gardnerianum 'Thai Kahili'
  • Hedychium 'Giant Hybrid Yellow'
  • Hedychium 'Gold Flame'
  • Hedychium gracile
  • Hedychium gracile Yellow
  • Hedychium gracile glaucum
  • Hedychium gracillimum
  • Hedychium greenei
  • Hedychium griffithianum
  • Hedychium 'Hardy Exotics 1'
  • Hedychium hasseltii
  • Hedychium 'Helen Dillon'
  • Hedychium horsfieldii
  • Hedychium 'Kahili Ann'
  • Hedychium 'Kahili White'
  • Hedychium 'Kewense'
  • Hedychium 'Kin Ogi'
  • Hedychium 'Kinkaku'
  • Hedychium 'Lemon Sherbet'
  • Hedychium longicornutum
  • Hedychium 'Luna Moth'
  • Hedychium"Lutea"
  • Hedychium 'Maiko'
  • Hedychium maximum
  • Hedychium maximum Early flower
  • Hedychium maximum HWJ 604
  • Hedychium maximum KR 1859
  • Hedychium maximum 'Keith Rushforth'
  • Hedychium 'Moy Giant'
  • Hedychium 'Multiflora White'
  • Hedychium muluense
  • Hedychium 'Mutant'
  • Hedychium nepalense
  • Hedychium 'Nikasha Cho'
  • Hedychium 'Oto Himi'
  • Hedychium 'Palani'
  • Hedychium 'Pale Yellow'
  • Hedychium 'Peach'
  • Hedychium 'Peach Delight'
  • Hedychium 'Pink'
  • Hedychium 'Pink Flame'
  • Hedychium 'Pink Hybrid'
  • Hedychium 'Pink Sparks'
  • Hedychium 'Pink V'
  • Hedychium Pink Wisley
  • Hedychium 'Pradhan'
  • Hedychium 'Raffillii'
  • Hedychium 'Samshiri'
  • Hedychium 'Sherry Baby'
  • Hedychium 'Shurei'
  • Hedychium speciosa
  • Hedychium spicatum
  • Hedychium spicatum'Angel Wings'
  • Hedychium spicatum CC1705
  • Hedychium spicatum CC4729
  • Hedychium spicatum CC5611
  • Hedychium spicatum CC5617
  • Hedychium spicatum 'De Groene Prins'
  • Hedychium spicatum 'Dudh Kosi Valley'
  • Hedychium spicatum 'Himalayan Lipstick'
  • Hedychium spicatum 'Huani'
  • Hedychium spicatum 'Liberty'
  • Hedychium spicatum 'MW'
  • Hedychium spicatum PB 57188
  • Hedychium spicatum PJ 218
  • Hedychium spicatum 'Red Back'
  • Hedychium spicatum ex Salween Valley
  • Hedychium spicatum 'Singalila'
  • Hedychium spicatum TH 1278
  • Hedychium spicatum Tibet
  • Hedychium spicatum Wisley
  • Hedychium spicatum'White Wings'
  • Hedychium 'St Martins'
  • Hedychium stenopetalum
  • Hedychium stenopetalum 'Giant White Thai'
  • Hedychium 'Tac Moto'
  • Hedychium 'Tahitian Flame'
  • Hedychium 'Tai Alpha'
  • Hedychium 'Tai Conch Pink'
  • Hedychium 'Tai Empress'
  • Hedychium 'Tai Golden Goddess'
  • Hedychium 'Tai Mammoth'
  • Hedychium 'Tai Monarch'
  • Hedychium 'Tai Pink Princess'
  • Hedychium 'Tai Pink Profusion'
  • Hedychium 'Tai Savannah'
  • Hedychium 'Tai Sunlight'
  • Hedychium 'Tangerine'
  • Hedychium 'Tara'
  • Hedychium 'Telstar 4'
  • Hedychium tengchongense
  • Hedychium tengchongense 'Trum Trom'
  • Hedychium thyrsiforme
  • Hedychium 'Tresco 1'
  • Hedychium 'Tresco 2'
  • Hedychium Tresco Hybrid
  • Hedychium UKSG
  • Hedychium urophyllum
  • Hedychium 'Vanilla Ice'
  • Hedychium 'Verity'
  • Hedychium villosum
  • Hedychium wardii
  • Hedychium wardii RF134
  • Hedychium 'White Butterfly'
  • Hedychium 'White Starburst'
  • Hedychium yunnanense
  • Hedychium yunnanense BWJ 7900
  • Hedychium yunnanense L 633
  • Hedychium yunnanense TH 1278
  • Hedychium yunnanense TH 1417
  • References:

  • Branney, T.M.E., Hardy Gingers. Royal Horticultural Society Plant Collector Guide. Timber Press 2005.
  • Le Jardin Ombrage