Hedychium coronarium
Hedychium coronarium, the white garland-lily or white ginger lily, is a perennial flowering plant in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is native to the forest understorey of Asia.
Other common names include butterfly lily, Khumpui, fragrant garland flower, Indian garland flower, white butterfly ginger lily, and white ginger.
Description
It is an upright perennial which may reach in height. It has long pointed leaves, with heavily scented white flowers with yellow bases. In its native environment flowering occurs between August and December.Distribution and habitat
It is native to the Eastern Himalayas of India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan, through northernmost Myanmar and Thailand, southern China to Taiwan in the East.It is typically found growing in forests.
As an invasive species
Beyond its native range, H. coronarium may be invasive in shallow water systems, along streams and in waterlogged areas. Once established, it is difficult to control due to vegetative reproduction through the underground spread of rhizomes. It was introduced in Brazil in the era of slavery, said to have been brought to the country by African slaves who used its leaves as mattresses, and is now considered naturalised in the states of Rio de Janeiro, Bahia and Espírito Santo. This species was first introduced as an ornamental to Hawaii around 1888 by Chinese immigrants, and is now considered a serious invader in mesic to wet areas of Maui and Hawaii island. Additionally, it is invasive in South Africa, where it is a declared weed, and propagation of plant material is considered prohibited. It is also invasive in New Caledonia.Cultivation
It is cultivated in warm temperate and subtropical regions of the world as an ornamental. In China it is cultivated for use in medicine and production of aromatic oil, due to the strong characteristic fragrance of the flowers, said to be reminiscent of jasmine.In the UK, it has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.