Orange gingerlily

Description

Hedychium coccineum is a species of flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is native to southern China (Guangxi, Tibet, Yunnan), the Himalayas, India and Indochina. Common names include orange gingerlily, scarlet gingerlily and orange bottlebrush ginger. This erect herbaceous perennial grows on the edge of forests and in mountain grasslands. It prefers partial sunshine, but can tolerate full sun. The flowers can range in colour from red to orange to almost yellow. Tom Wood developed a number of varieties of Hedychium coccineum including aurantiacum, commercially known as 'Orange Bush' or 'Flaming Torch', which grows to about 1.5 m (4.9 ft) with two close ranks of waxy leaves. The flower spike has six rows of small orange flowers with 7 cm (2.8 in) orange stamens that radiate outwards. Hedychium is a genus of flowering plants in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, native to lightly wooded habitats in Asia. There are approximately 70-80 known species, native to India, Southeast Asia, and Madagascar. Some species have become widely naturalized in other lands, and considered invasive in some places. The genus name Hedychium is derived from two ancient Greek words, hedys meaning "sweet" and chios meaning "snow". This refers to the fragrant white flower of the type species H. coronarium.Common names include garland flower, ginger lily, and kahili ginger. Members of the genus Hedychium are rhizomatous perennials, commonly growing 120–180 cm (47–71 in) tall. Some species are cultivated for their exotic foliage and fragrant spikes of flowers in shades of white, yellow and orange. Numerous cultivars have been developed for garden use, of which 'Tara' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Though reasonably hardy down to −10 °C (14 °F), it requires a sheltered position and a deep mulch in winter.