Hedychium coronatum The "never-fail" Butterfly Gingers!
© Paul T. Nawrocki
All it asks is a "pre-season" application, at the roots, of a timed-release plant food like Osmocote, perhaps in April. In about a month, merry little pink-tipped shoots emerge from its relatively barren growing bed, and each stalk continues to lengthen by about a foot a week, until 4th of July brings the dependable reward to the homeowner of the first flush of ginger blooms! What a treat they are: intensely scented butterfly-shaped blooms that are reminiscent of honeysuckle, jasmine, gardenia, orange blossoms...all rolled into one! Each flower lasts but a day, but everyday, another mini-stalk of white emerges from its stalk-topping "sheath" with still another scented "wonder!"
Although I live in South Florida, Hedychiums will thrive just as readily from Zone8B through 12. In cooler zones, the commencement of first blooms will probably be around August 1st, but its worth the wait, as often, by early August, the garden is perhaps, looking a "little peeked!" This late summer treat is just what the warm climate gardener longs for, to restore his/her "waning zest!"
In climates warmer than Zone 10, Hedychium species (of which there are over 90!), will probably keep flowering yeararound, and never dissappear from the garden bed as they do for Floridians and Gulf Coast gardeners. The first Butterfly Gingers I ever saw, were seen covering mountain banks (rather profusely, at that), at El Yunque, in Puerto Rico at The Caribbean National Forest, at about 1,700 ft elevation. This is probably Zone 11A, (or no winter temperatures lower than around 50 degrees F.)
Care to try in cooler zones? (Zones 7 or 6?) By growing Hedychium coronatum in clay containers on a very sunny patio (bring out containers in MAY!) the gardener can expect to enjoy early fall blooms, perhaps by Labour Day! It's a shorter bloom period outside, but since this is a containerized planting, the gardener can enjoy exotic, tropical bloom INSIDE, the home, at a sunny windeow! Just water every 4 or 5 days and your Butterfly Ginger SHOULD release heady fragrance into your interior space almost until Halloween! Then just cut your plants back, water only every other week; let them "rest", and bring outdoors again, next MAY, after a light APRIL feeding!
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