Hedychium gardnerianum

Species

Wild ginger (Hedychium gardnerianum) is a long-lived, evergreen perennial herb that is native to the Himalayas. It was introduced to New Zealand as a garden ornamental and was first recorded in the wild (naturalised) in 1940. The plant grows up to about 2 metres tall from thick, fleshy rhizomes and has large, glossy leaves arranged in two rows along upright stems. It flowers from January to March, producing fragrant yellow flowers with prominent red stamens, which develop into orange seed capsules containing bright red seeds. It tolerates frost and moderate shade and grows best in damp, fertile soils. It reproduces by seed and vegetatively from rhizomes. Seeds are dispersed by birds. Rhizomes are spread by soil movement, water, dumped garden waste and other human activities. Rhizome fragments readily produce new plants.

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