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Fall Plant Sale: Ginger Lily

spiked ginger lily

By Beth Hall Hoffman
Paul J. Kramer plant collections manager

scarlet ginger lily

Hedychiums, also known as ginger lilies, are a fantastic late summer bloomer that loves the heat of our North Carolina summers. Their tropical foliage add interesting texture to the garden, topped with spikes of flowers starting in July or August. Some fall flowering species, like Hedychium coronarium and Hedychium ‘Betty Hodge’, have passersby asking what that heavenly fragrance is.

Given plenty of water, ginger lilies spread by thick rhizomes and are easy to divide. They are hardy to zone 7, but for extra protection, once they have died back leave the stalks to insulate the rhizomes, or add mulch on top.

Below are a few ginger lilies we will have at the Fall Plant Sale next weekend.

Hedychium 'Betty Hodge', ginger lily: Starts flowering here at Duke Gardens in September. 6 to 8 feet tall; fragrant white flowers with yellow centers.

Hedychium coccineum, scarlet ginger lily: Striking red-orange blooms in July. 5 to 6 feet tall.

Hedychium coronarium, white ginger lily: Fall flowering with a wonderful fragrance. White flowers, spreading, 4 to 5 feet tall. Part shade to full sun.

Hedychium 'Daniel Weeks', ginger lily: One of the longest flowering ginger lilies, starting mid-summer and reblooming through frost. Pale golden yellow flowers on 4-foot stalks. Full to part sun; spreads quickly.

Hedychium 'Kinkatu', ginger lily: Orange flowered, with a sturdy upright habit. Full to part sun. Blooms mid-summer.

Hedychium spicatum, spiked ginger lily: Partial shade, short habit, only growing to 3 feet. Spikes of yellow and white flowers midsummer.

The Fall Plant Sale will be from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 28, with a members-only preview sale and dinner on Sept. 27. Please see our plant sale page for more information about the sale and how to become a member.

ginger lilies

ginger lilies

Pictured above
Top: Hedychium spicatum, spiked ginger lily
Vertical photo: Hedychium coccineum, scarlet ginger lily
First duo, L-R: Hedychium 'Kinkatu'; Hedychium 'Betty Hodge'
Second duo, L-R: Hedychium 'Kinkatu'; Hedychium coronarium, white ginger lily
All photos by Beth Hall Hoffman, except for the white ginger lily by Jason Holmes.