Common Name: Butterfly Ginger

General Information

Hedychium coronarium is a stout, strongly aromatic, perennial herb growing 1 - 2.5 metres tall from a fleshy rhizome that is 25 - 50mm in diameter[]. The large oblong to lanceolate leaves are 16 - 60cm long by 5 - 10cm wide[]
The plant is valued particularly for its high quality essential oil, it also has various medicinal uses. It is gathered from the wild and also sometimes cultivated as a crop[]. It is also widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical areas of the world[].
Plants often escape from cultivation in tropical and subtropical regions and become naturalised. They can spread considerably by means of their rhizomes to form dense thickets - these can quite hard to eradicate[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - China, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia

Habitat

Moist places along streams and on forest edges[]. Along the banks of rivers, in swampy areas, open wet locations and the edges of shaded secondary forests, at elevations from sea-level up to 2,500 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.50 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Hedychium coronarium is a plant of subtropical to tropical regions. It is not very cold-hardy, tolerating short-lived temperatures falling to about -2°c[, ]. It can be grown outdoors in the milder regions of the temperate zone if placed against a sunny wall and given a good mulch in the winter[, ].
Requires a rich moist soil and a sunny position or partial shade[, ]. It succeeds in shallow water[] and can also be grown in a sunny border as a summer sub-tropical bedding plant[[].
The flowers have a delicious perfume which is most pronounced towards evening[].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[].
The tubers should be only just covered by soil[].

Edible Uses

Young buds and flowers are steamed and eaten, or used as a flavouring[, , ].

Root - cooked. A famine food used when all else fails[].

Medicinal

The seed is aromatic, carminative and stomachic[].

The root is antirheumatic, excitant and tonic[, ]. The ground rhizome is used as a febrifuge[240 310]. A decoction is used to treat pain in the chest and arms[].

An essential oil from the roots is carminative and has anthelmintic indications[].

A decoction of the basal part of the stem is gargled in the treatment of tonsillitis, or, alternatively, a part of the stem may be chewed[].
The chewed stem is applied to infected nostrils[].

An infusion of the leaves is used to treat abdominal complaints[]. Combined with the leaves of Lantana camara, it is used as a febrifuge[].
The boiled leaves are applied to stiff and sore joints[].

Other Uses

The stems contain 43 - 48% cellulose and are useful in making paper[]. The plant has been recommended as a source of paper pulp[].

An essential oil obtained from the flowers of this species, and other members of the genus, is valued in high grade perfumes[].
An extract of the flowers is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner[].
An extract of the root is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner, tonic and masking agent[].
The dried then powdered plant is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as a skin conditioner[].

The root contains 1.7% essential oil, which is used medicinally[].

The flowers are extensively used in flower garlands in Hawaii and Japan[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a warm greenhouse at 18°c[]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on for at least their first winter in the greenhouse. Plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts.
Division as growth commences in the spring[]. Dig up the clump and divide it with a sharp spade or knife, making sure that each division has a growing shoot. Larger clumps can be planted out direct into their permanent positions, but it is best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a greenhouse until they are established. Plant them out in the summer or late in the following spring.