When you hear the wordginger , you might think of culinary ginger , which is used to flavor a miscellany of dishes and dessert . However , many types of ginger plants in the family Zingiberaceae are grown for their ornamental value .
These lump - mold , florescence plant are native to Asia and are typically audacious in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant life hardiness zones 7 to 11 . They often command wintertime concern in climates outside of this range of a function .
Hedychium Ornamental Ginger Plants
Plants in the genusHedychium , which comprises about 80 species native to Asia , are grown as ornamentals . Let ’s look at some ordinarily grown plant in this genus .
Kahili Ginger
Kahili ginger ( Hedychium gardnerianum , zone 8 to 11 ) is the most wide grown member of the genus . It grow flower spike with as many as 50 yellow flowers per terminal raceme . Each raceme has a length between 1 and 2 feet .
The Kahili powdered ginger , like other gingers , can be propagated by split the rhizome . This species grow best in full sunshine and moist , deep soil .
Butterfly Ginger
Also in this genus is butterfly ginger ( Hedychium coronarium , zona 7 to 10 ) , also know as the ginger lily and white pep , which is grow for its intensely fragrant white prime .
If you ’re growing this plant in zona 7 and require to entrust it in the ground , apply a blockheaded layer of mulch to protect the underground rhizome . Outside of this range , the rhizome should be overwintered indoors .
Tip
Where they are not wintertime hardy , ornamental ginger rootstock should be removed from the garden in the fall and stored in a dry medium to be replanted in the outflow .
Growing Pinecone Ginger
Pinecone ginger ( Zingiber zerumbet , zones 8 to 10 ) , or wild gingerroot , is another flowering powdered ginger grown as an ornamental . This plant flower in late summertime and fall , when it raise light-green peak bract that resemble a pine retinal cone . Blossoms emerge between these bracts . After florescence , the pine cone - shaped flower bodily structure turns a bright red ink .
The pinecone ginger is live by the common name shampoo powdered ginger , because the liquid inside the pinecone - similar blossom is used as shampoo by mass in Asia and Hawaii .
Care of Pinecone Ginger
Pinecone ginger grows best in dampish soil with beneficial drain . Plant this bloom ginger plant in part sunshine .
Outside of its hardiness range , pinecone ginger can be grown in containers and overwintered indoors . These plants go torpid in the winter and require to be kept wry while they are dormant . Therefore , if growing these plants in the ground , they need to be labor up in the free fall and stash away in a composition bag filled with sawdust .
Hidden Ginger Plants
Hidden gingers ( Curcumaspp . , zones 8 to 10 ) get their name because their flowers are often concealed by the plant ’s lover - shaped leaves that recall the foliage ofcanna lily . concealed gingers may have pink flowers or white flowers . The salad days of this species make a good cut heyday .
industrial plant in this genus include the tabby lily ( Curcuma petiolata , geographical zone 8 to 10 ) , which is native to Malaysia . The turmeric plant is also in this genus . There are also variegate hidden cultivars available .
Like other gingerroot rhizomes , obscure gingers should be dug up and lay in in a wry culture medium during the winter .
