Hedychium gardnerianum
Archive entry 11.09.11
10th September 2005
A splendid species that comes naturally from Nepal, Sikkim and Assam, but grown in warm
temperate climates worldwide. It is vigorous and invasive under the right conditions, and
regarded as a serious weed in New Zealand, Madiera and Hawaii because of its ability to smother
large areas of the native vegetation. In the UK it makes a spectacular plant for a tub, and
grows and flowers outside in the extreme southwest. I plant growing locally produces
fantastic leaves every year, but grows too slowly to flower.
This plant came from a local nursery as Hedychium aurantiacum, but which was obviously
H.gardnerianum. It has a very heavy covering of white floury bloom on the stems and
undersides of the leaves that make it stand out from many forms. Similar forms have been
distributed from Thailand as 'White Gold'. It flowered at about 7' in the greenhouse.
15th August 2006
This is one of my favourite forms of the species. It has pinkish stems covered in a white bloom.
8th October 2006
19th September 2007
This form is slightly more compact with darker yellow flowers.
9th September 2008
3rd September 2009
16th September 2010
24th August 2017