I just got home from offshore yesterday to discover that my butterfly gingers are in full bloom. These are some of the most wonderful flowers to be had in mid-summer. Their fragrance fills my entire back yard in the evening. It smells remarkably like a gardenia. Every Southerner should have a clump of these growing just to sense the fragrance on the summer evening breeze.
Hedychiums (their real name) are very easy to grow. Put them in partial shade with adequate moisture and watch them flourish. They send up numerous suckers that can be transplanted easily all over the yard. I recommend putting some stakes around them to keep them from flopping over after getting tall. They don't do well north of hardiness zone 8 unless you dig them up in the winter. There are other colors besides white, but the white ones smell the best. The plants actually look something like a canna, but with narrower leaves. Give them a try and you will NOT regret it.
2 comments:
Wow I've got to have one. I will be looking to add this to my gardens. It does look a lot like my cannas.
I have some but they haven't bloomed yet - I'm excited now! Mine did NOT like part shade, though. They grew towards the sun, so I moved them to full sun earlier this summer. They are thriving now!
Post a Comment