ginger lily, (genus Hedychium), genus of about 70 species in the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), found mostly in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa. Several are cultivated as ornamentals, and the flowers of many Hedychium species are used for garlands and other decorations.

Physical description

The rhizomes (underground stems) are gingerlike (i.e., fleshy with a yellow or bluish interior) and spreading. Several species from the Malay Peninsula and Oceania are epiphytic—i.e., supported by other plants and having aerial roots exposed to the humid atmosphere. The approximately 70-cm- (2-foot-) long leaves are green above and bluish on the underside; in one species (Hedychium greenei) the leaves are dark green above and red underneath. The sweetly scented flowers are borne in spirally arranged clusters. In addition to seeds and rhizomes, many species are able to propagate with asexual bulbils.

Major species

The white-flowered H. coronarium, known as white ginger lily, and the yellow-flowered H. flavum, or yellow butterfly ginger, are commonly used in the leis of Hawaii. Spiked ginger lily (H. spicatum) has heavily perfumed flowers and is used in traditional and Ayurvedic medicine.

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Native to the Himalayas, Kahili ginger, or Kahili garland lily (H. gardnerianum), is grown for its large cylindrical clusters of showy yellow flowers. It is considered a very aggressive invasive species in Hawaii and other places outside its native range.