Hedychiums

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Cali

  • Jr. Member
Hedychiums
« on: October 25, 2011, 11:14:02 AM »
This is a tropical, of course, but I've placed mine in a bed of summer annuals where it gets watered daily through the summer.  I've had it for nearly ten years (a present from an MGS member in Crete--thank you Janet!) and though I cant say it flourished or spread, without any special care it now has two stalks instead of one and looks healthy. I forget about it till this time of year, when it's scent reminds me why I love it.
Cali Doxiadis
Former MGS President
Gardens in Corfu, Greece.

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Hedychium (Ginger Lily)
« Reply #1 on: October 25, 2011, 11:55:25 AM »
Is that H. forrestii, Cali? I grow mine in dappled shade. As you say they are thirsty, greedy plants. The other photo is H. coccineum 'Tara'.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

ezeiza

  • Full Member
Re: Hedychium (Ginger Lily)
« Reply #2 on: October 25, 2011, 07:08:15 PM »
Hedychium coronarium

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John

  • Hero Member
Hedychiums
« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2012, 01:04:41 AM »
I have grown quite a few Hedychium over the years and have the very hardy H. densiflorum in our front garden. The flowers are lovely but fleeting. The leaves have quite a tropical effect but the fruits can be better value than the flowers when they fruit well lasting much longer than the flowers. This only happens occasionally. I couldn't find any stunning shots but here the first picture taken in November with some fruits on and turning autumn colour. The second in December the same year with snow. The rhizomes are very hardy taking freezing even though quite exposed.
John
Horticulturist, photographer, author, garden designer and plant breeder; MGS member and RHS committee member. I garden at home in SW London and also at work in South London.

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John J

  • Hero Member
Hedychiums
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2012, 06:31:58 AM »
I grow a couple of Hedychium in the open ground under a large Pecan tree with other mature trees around to give shade from the hottest sun. They get a good covering of leaf litter every year that way as they are greedy feeders and they get the benefit of nearby irrigation to quench their thirst. They get cut back to the ground every year and usually start into growth in May. You can almost see them growing and they make 2 m very quickly. Unfortunately, as John says, the flowers are not long lived but are still spectacular and the scent is amazing.
The white one is H forrestii and the orange H coccineum 'Tara'.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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Alisdair

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
Re: Hedychiums
« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2012, 10:28:47 AM »
To see pictures of Hedychium gardnerianum in fruit in Jean Vaché's garden, click here.
And to see John's of H. greenii, click here.
« Last Edit: March 01, 2012, 03:11:39 PM by Alisdair »
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

ezeiza

  • Full Member
Re: Hedychiums
« Reply #6 on: March 05, 2012, 12:31:38 AM »
May I ask John why do they prune them?

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Hedychiums
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2012, 07:53:15 AM »
Hi ezeiza, I'm assuming your question was directed at me.
Many years ago when I first thought of growing Hedychium here in Cyprus I sought the advice of Lyn Spencer-Mills who, at that time, held the National Collection of Hedychium in the UK. She cut her plants back to ground level every autumn, admittedly after the first frosts, a problem we seldom encounter at our altitude here in Cyprus. I cut mine down usually because following flowering the stems begin to die back and by the time the new growth starts to appear (April/May) they are falling over anyway. So, I guess it's a simple matter of aesthetics really.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Hedychiums
« Reply #8 on: July 17, 2014, 07:38:23 AM »
Having just returned from a few days in Athens I was pleasantly surprised to find one of our Hedychium in flower. It's one that I bought from Norwell Nurseries in Newark, Notts last year and this is the first time it has flowered. It's Hedychium x moorei 'Raffillii'.
« Last Edit: July 19, 2014, 03:58:29 AM by Alisdair »
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

Hilary

  • Hero Member
Re: Hedychiums
« Reply #9 on: February 03, 2020, 08:01:14 AM »
Hedychium gardnerianum,

looking past its best in THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, MADRID, April 2018.

Since this plant features in both the journal and the Forum I am posting this photo here.

To read about it in the journal go to number 47, January 2007and read
A DREAM , ALMOST, COME TRUE  by John Joynes


MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care