[John J]

This is the first flower spike of the year on any of my Hedychiums. I bought it as Hedychium gardnerianum 'Tara' several years ago but I believe that there is some discussion as to whether it should actually be H. coccineum 'Tara'. Whatever its name is it has a wonderful fragrance. I grow mine under a group of tall trees in semi-shade, a sort of woodland edge if you like. Some of the trees are deciduous so there has been a good supply of leaf litter over the years to help feed their greedy habit. They are also rather thirsty plants so do get extra water when available.

[Alice]

Greedy and thirsty they may be, but worth the trouble, John. I have been tempted by them myself but don't quite have the right conditions yet.
How long between planting a Hedychium rhizome and flowering?

[John J]

Absolutely worth the trouble, Alice. The ones I have I bought from a specialist nursery near Newark in Nottinghamshire on different trips to UK and carried back in my hand luggage. On my last trip in late May/early June I managed to get 2 new ones H. greenii and H. raffilii. Apparently the severe winter of 2010/2011 had decimated his stock and he was just building it up again but he let me have these 2 (the begging on bended knees may have helped!!!). When I brought them back they had a single spike about 30 cm tall. I have planted them in my Hedychium area and will nurse them through this summer and winter in the hope that they will gain enough strength to put up a flowering spike next year. My established plants put up new spikes every spring, starting around May, and you can almost watch them grow they are so fast. I am around 190 cm tall and the flower spike in the photo in the above post is a little over my head, that's just under 3 month's growth.

[Alice]

Thank you for the information, John. I first became interested in Hedychiums after reading your enthusiastic article in the "Mediterranean Garden". Last year I purchased two rhizomes at a plant fair in London and gave them to our neighbour on Paros, who has a lot of tropical plants, but I don't know how they have done. I didn't realise they were so tall or fast-growing. They sound really fascinating!

[John J]

This year's first flower on 'Tara' began opening yesterday.

[John J]

Bang on time 'Tara' is beginning to perform once more.

[John J]

Probably the last 'spike' of the year.