Hedychium gardnerianum

Growing in the East Ridge and Furrow area of the Pavilions, here is one of the ginger lilies, its handsome foliage rising along the stems from stout rhizomes. A promising number of buds, tight heads of cone shaped bracts, look set to provide a wonderful show during August. The stunning pale yellow flowers with prominent red stamens are beautifully fragrant.

There are about 50 genera in the family Zingiberaceae, including the edible ginger, cardamom and turmeric.

Native to the Himalaya, H. gardnerianum was named after Edward Gardner, the first person in charge of the British Residency in Nepal from 1816. It was introduced to Western cultivation in 1819 and holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

The name Hedychium is from the ancient Greek ‘hedys’ meaning sweet and ‘chios’ snow - from a white species of the plant.

The common name, ‘Khalili’ is Hawaiian for feather; the plant is very invasive in Hawaii and New Zealand too.