Ginger Lily

The Ginger Lily (Hedychium spp) has bloomed.

It smells like a softer version of honey suckle.

This tall tropical plant is now about five feet tall and I have it tied to a wrought iron stake.

I thought it would be yellow. 

No.

 It's white and hard to photograph of course. 

They can be orange, white, or yellow and many colors in between.

Apparently mine is a tough specimen because Shelley, our German Shepherd, 

kept digging it up

 and sitting on it last year but it still thrived.

Ginger lilies grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 11, where they perform best in sun to partial shade. In warmer regions, morning sun is good but afternoon sun is too harsh for them and will make their leaves curl. They thrive in moist, acidic soil that is rich in organic matter. In cooler regions, you can grow them in containers or dig rhizomes after the first frost and store them indoors for the winter. Since their rhizomes will multiply, use containers with plenty of horizontal room for them to grow.

Care of ginger lilies obtained from: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/

For my gardening friends in the U.K. here is a site to check http://www.bigplantnursery.co.uk/

happy gardening

Olive