Hedychium ellipticum (Rock Butterfly Lily)

Hedychium ellipticum (Rock Butterfly Lily) is an upright perennial boasting handsome foliage of broad, strongly ribbed leaves adorned with thick red-stained stems. In late summer to early fall, very fragrant, creamy-white flowers appear in a dense flowerhead surrounded by a firework display of long, orange-red stamens. Rich with a pleasing spice fragrance, they resemble a brightly colored pin-cushion. Rock Butterfly Lily is one of the hardiest gingers. A beautiful foliage plant that is much admired when in bloom.

• Grows up to 4-6 ft. high (120-180 cm) and 2-3 ft. wide (60-90 cm).
• 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.
• Native to the Himalayas and East India.
• Hedychium is part of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, which includes culinary favorites like ginger (Zingiber officinale), turmeric (Curcuma longa), cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), and galangal or Thai ginger (Alpinia galanga). Ornamental varieties are just as eye-catching, with species such as torch ginger (Etlingera elatior), shell ginger (Alpinia zerumbet), yellow ginger lily (Hedychium flavescens), white ginger lily (Hedychium coronarium), dense ginger lily (Hedychium densiflorum), and the tropical showstopper Kahili ginger (Hedychium gardnerianum).