I used to turn my nose up at ginger lilies—well, most tropical-looking plants in general. To me, they always looked out of place in our southeastern gardens. But as with other aspects of my taste, I've softened with age—I've become less of a snob and more open to all forms of beauty. What really changed my mind is the fact that ginger lilies bloom in late summer/ fall, and many produce wonderful scents. I especially love plants that bloom late in the season!
Ginger lilies aren't really lilies but are more closely related to edible turmeric and ginger (in the family Zingiberacaea). Whilst I've not eaten these; apparently, both the flowers and rhizomes are edible and used for flavoring and fragrance in Southeast Asia.
Hedychium coronarium, or the white ginger lily, is probably our most common form here in Georgia. I see these in older neighborhoods, although not as much as I used to. I sometimes call it the "gardenia ginger" because its smell reminds me of another white, quintessentially southern flower.
But this past week, I had a new experience- a new ginger lily smell. While I don't know the origin of this clone, it is pale orange-yellow. Its fragrance is distinct! I'm no good at describing smells, but this is clearly different from the more traditional white form. It's less musky sweet and more "clean"- if that means anything to you.
As with all ginger lilies, they make clumps or "colonies" and can be easily divided and "passed along" to friends. They like water, but they will also survive droughts. They can take full sun to light-filtered shade. Other than these key requirements, they are easy. I can't think of any pests, really.
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