Hedychium flavescens (Yellow Ginger Lily)

Heavily perfumed, Hedychium flavescens (Yellow Ginger Lily) is an upright rhizomatous perennial boasting luminous clusters of pale to lemon yellow, butterfly-like flowers, each with a 2-lobed lip, in late summer and early fall.

Heavily perfumed, Hedychium flavescens (Yellow Ginger Lily) is an upright rhizomatous perennial boasting luminous clusters of pale to lemon yellow, butterfly-like flowers, each with a 2-lobed lip, in late summer and early fall. The spicily-scented blossoms are borne at the tips of upright stems clothed in pointed, softly hairy, lance-shaped leaves, up to 2 ft. long (60 cm). Even when not in flower, Yellow Ginger Lily looks great on patios or decks with a tropical theme.

  • Grows up to 3-6 ft. high (90-180 cm) and 2-3 ft. wide (60-90 cm). Yellow Ginger Lily can spread considerably via its creeping underground rhizomes to form dense thickets.
  • Performs best in full sun or part shade, in organically rich, moist, well-drained soils.
  • A pretty addition to beds and borders, containers, cottage gardens or Mediterranean gardens.
  • Plant your rhizomes in the ground in spring after the last frost date. In cold winter areas, lift them in fall and store them for winter in slightly moist vermiculite or peat in a cool, dry location. Containers should be overwintered indoors in a cool, dry, frost-free location.
  • Keep an eye out for glasshouse red spider mites, aphids, and root rot.
  • Native to the Eastern Himalayas region of India, Nepal, and Bhutan. It has naturalized in other areas and is considered an invasive species in some parts of the world.

Requirements

Hardiness 9
– 11

Heat Zones 8
– 12

Climate Zones 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, H1, H2
Plant Type Perennials
Plant Family Hedychium – Ginger Lilies
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Late)Fall
Height 3'
– 6'
(90cm
– 180cm)
Spread 2'
– 3'
(60cm
– 90cm)
Spacing 36″ (90cm)
Water Needs Average
Maintenance Average
Soil Type Chalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained
Characteristics Fragrant, Showy
Garden Uses Beds and Borders, Patio and Containers
Garden Styles City and Courtyard, Informal and Cottage, Mediterranean Garden