''Hedychium gardnerianum'', the Kahili ginger, Kahila garland-lily or ginger lily, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the ginger

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Zingiberaceae, native to the

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India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

, and

Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...

. It is an erect

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

growing to tall with long, bright green leaves clasping the tall stems. The very fragrant pale yellow and red flowers are held in dense spikes above the foliage. They appear towards the end of summer.

Cultivation

''Hedychium gardnerianum'' is cultivated as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

in gardens and parks. It prefers a warm tropical climate, although it can thrive in sub-tropical and temperate regions as it tolerates occasional frosts. In the UK it has been given the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...

. It is best grown in a warm, sheltered spot where temperatures do not fall below freezing, and is given a deep mulch during the winter months. Alternatively it can be grown under glass in a well-lit conservatory or greenhouse.

Invasive species

The plant is a serious

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

in certain areas. It is known as 'wild kahili ginger' and is listed as a weed of concern on conservation land in

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and the

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. It has been recognized as one of "

100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species 100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species is a list of invasive species compiled in 2000 from the Global Invasive Species Database, a database of invasive species around the world. ISSG booklet giving the original 100 species. The database i ...

" by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

Invasive Species Specialist Group Invasive may refer to: *Invasive (medical) procedure *Invasive species *Invasive observation, especially in reference to surveillance *Invasively progressive spread of disease from one organ in the body to another, especially in reference to cancer ...

(ISSG).

Control as a weed

In areas where ''Hedychium gardnerianum'' is not of a concern, it may still require control depending on the environment, and its potential as an invasive species in the long term. The simplest way to reduce spread is monitoring. Removal of flower heads before they set seed, and monitoring spread of the

rhizomes In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

in these situations will enable ''Hedychium gardnerianum'' to be managed in cooler temperate climates such as in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. In

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

, or sub-tropical climates however, ''Hedychium gardnerianum'' can quickly colonise untended areas. Its sticky seeds are easily spread by birds and roaming mammals, while rhizomes crowd out native seedlings by forming dense mats. Without human intervention, it can colonise large areas quickly as each rhizome adds at least one segment per season depending on climatic and light conditions. The methods mentioned above may give some control over any particular clump but will not resolve the problem. Each year, ''Hedychium gardnerianums rhizomes increase the surface area of a particular area, whether the flowers are removed or not. Complete removal of the rhizomes or

poisoning Poisoning is the harmful effect which occurs when Toxicity, toxic substances are introduced into the body. The term "poisoning" is a derivative of poison, a term describing any chemical substance that may harm or kill a living organism upon ...

, (usually before flowers are matured), is the only certain way of controlling the plant if it is considered a weed. When ''Hedychium gardnerianum'' is particularly virulent, annual follow up is required for some years to prevent re-infestation. Re-infestation may occur from spreading by neighbouring plants, or dormant seeds disturbed by the removal of the original tuber clump as seeds remain viable for 2–4 years. Lifted rhizomes should be removed from site as if left in contact with soil they will restore themselves.

Medicinal research

Medicinal research indicates that the plant compound, villosin, in ''Hedychium gardnerianum'' has potent cytotoxicity activity against human small cell

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

cells.Kumrit I, Suksamrarn A, Meepawpan P, Songsri S, Nuntawong N.; (2010) "Labdane-type diterpenes from Hedychium gardnerianum with potent cytotoxicity against human small cell lung cancer cells." ''Phytother Res.''; 24(7):1009-1

/ref> File:Gardenology.org-IMG 9472 rbgm10dec.jpg File:Gardenology.org-IMG 9473 rbgm10dec.jpg File:Gardenology.org-IMG 9474 rbgm10dec.jpg File:Gardenology.org-IMG 9471 rbgm10dec.jpg

References

{{Authority control Hedychium, gardnerianum Flora of the Indian subcontinent Garden plants of Asia