I have white butterfly that was given to me. I love it! Very fragrant. Easy to divide and share, too. If I had more space for gingers, I'd be adding some of the other types.

Cameron

The white butterfly ginger (hedychium) is the one to have for sun, with ample moisture. The fragrance is just incredible, yes.

In semi-shade with just a bit of morning sun, I have curcuma, alpinas both variegated and solid green, and cardamon ginger. I haven't a photo handy of cardamon ginger. It doesn't grow tall like the others. The leaves are about 5-6 inches long, and slender. I like to run my hand over a leaf to release the fragrance. It smells like Christmas pot pourri.
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Gingers grow so much better than hostas in my hot, humid climate. So far my gingers have returned after dying down for the winter. There are a few hostas (Gold Edger, Gold Standard) left in the bed with the gingers, slow to come out (still hoping for a few more days of chill, I expect) and never the size they should be.
Nell

When I lived in California, I bought a small Kahili ginger plant from a tourist shop at a Hawaiian airport. I planted it in an area which received morning and late afternoon sun. That plant grew to be a huge stand of gorgeous ginger. The flowers were huge and fragrant. They did well as cut flowers.

Many passersby commented that they were astonished to see a Hawaiian ginger doing so well in California. I always told them that I had accidentally chosen the perfect location to plant it. I dug up root stock, and gifted many people with it.

Actually the plant didn't flower until it was five years old. But once it got started, it put out a spectacular display year after year. The stand of ginger was more than twenty years old, when I moved.

Lorna

My white ginger is planted up against the east side of the house, under the outside faucet and condensation drip from the a/c. It gets morning sun, then shade beginning around noon. I just don't have shade here. There are some orange colored gingers that I've seen...love them! Don't know what they are since I haven't focused on gingers.

Bama glad to see you back here. I had wondered how you are doing ??

Where do I get partial shade loving to full shade loving gingers ? I would love to try some . Thank you , Caroline

Cameron and Nell, I'll be looking for the white butterfly ginger to try. Carolyn, I've seen a varigated ginger just this past week at Tomar Nursery on Macon Road in Columbus. BUT, the owner told me that he's hesitant to sell this particular variety as it's not dependable in returning for him. This one was variegated. He said that he has found the non-variegated varieties to be much more hardy for our area. He promised to get in some white butterfly ginger for me to try. I'll let you know if and when he does. Meanwhile, let me know if you find it somewhere else. Oh...I'm sick, sick, sick that I didn't know about the master gardener plant sale. I so would have been there!

Nell, what size does the cardamon ginger grow to?

Lorna...did you take some of your ginger with you when you moved??

Last question first, cardamon ginger is not a large plant, but it spreads; 8-10" tall. It is not evergreen for me, but it is the first to put out new growth. I saw it at a local nursery in large containers. I think they used it in landscaping.

I find variegated Alpina no less dependable in returning here than the plain green shell ginger. Neither ever has a long enough growing season to bloom for me. I bought the variegated at some place like Lowes, late in the season one year. They frequently have curcuma mid-summer, too.

There are a couple of vendors in north Florida who specialize in gingers. One is James Scoggins in Clermont, FL. I know little about him except that he has a nice selection of gingers.

The other is Dave Skinner of Tallahassee. I've been aware of Dave, a Master Gardener, for years. It's a pity that his web site, 'Le Jardin Ombrage' is no longer available. He had an extensive database of perennials and shrubs he trialed in his Tallahassee Garden, even building a hypertufa system on a hillside. He tried just about everything Bluestone had for sale, and recorded his failures as well as his successes. I learned a lot from his site.

A few years ago, Dave discovered gingers and now his site is 'GingersRUs' and he is totally immersed in gingers.
Nell

bama I am sorry too ! I didn't know how to get in touch with you. Also "Out in the Garden "in Beauregard has almost closed down due to the daughter being ill. They are only open Wed-Sat or maybe Fri now 10-3. They have very little and were very nice when I went by but don't plan on getting much in this year. There is another plant place called Provence in Valley on 270 that I don't know about ...do you? I have so many plants right now I am in a tizzy. Ginger will have to wait. All I could see was that they are not hardy here and need to come into a sunroom for winter. There is some conflicting info about the cardamom ginger onn Dave's garden...One guy says the cinnamon is the small one and the cardamom is 10 ft tall !! Good luck with them and I will definitely post the sale nex year. It is always in April. CAroline

Nell, I'll check out the ginger website. Thanks for sharing.

Carolyn, I hate to hear about the family sickness for the Out In the Garden folks. I surely hope she recovers soon.

I'm not familiar with Provence. Sorry. I spend most of time at the two Tomar locations in Columbus and a wonderful nursery specializing in native plants in Pine Mountain--Garden Delights. They are such wonderful, helpful people.

I'm a bit confused about the hardiness of ginger in our area. I read where the white butterfly ginger tends to be the most hardy and is successful up through Atlanta. Did you see something different? I still think I may try it if I can find a little pot. :)

I was just looking at the cardamom not the butterfly. I too love Garden Delights and the other one next door in PM. I don't know the Tomar nurseries...I will try and Google them.

I believe the dght is recovering which is why the Mom and SIL are cont. limited hours but the dght has 3 kids and no time at present.
I may try calling the Provence place and see what they spceialize in. Never know. Caroline

I only have one kind - the white Butterfly Ginger that I got from my cousin in Hawaii, so THAT is my favourite! ;)

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It really does look like a Butterfly and what a heavenly fragrance!
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~sweetannie4u

I have many gingers. I love them all.
White
dwarf white
HUGE flowered white
pink
peach
salmon
orange
yellow
pale yellow/cream

when we get to the back yard I plan on putting in some of the gingers that Nell grows.
The varigated ginger is hardy here. I had it in a pot all winter and it still seems to be quite alive. That's the 2nd year in the pot with some very cold temps. I just keep it drier during cold.
Pretty soon it needs to see the ground though! It's getting big!

GGG

Hello, Bama, I only brought some Kahili ginger seeds with me to New Mexico. They didn't grow. It is
hot here, dry climate, and not much shade. I've been thinking about writing my former neighbors and asking them to send me some of the root stock. It might have a better chance than seeds.

I'm working on shade. I've planted several trees, but they are all slow growing. I've been clearing more of the land outside of my house yard. I put in a garage, which created quite a bit of deep shade. Ginger might work there.

Are cannas a type of ginger? I've been trying to grow cannas, and only one has survived a couple of winters. But the plant is puny and blooms very late, if at all. I know they can be grown here, because somebody a couple of miles down from the mesa has a beautiful canna garden. Any tips on cannas?

Lorna

If I lived in the desert (again), I would grow cacti and succulents in my yard...maybe some other desert plants but nothing exotic, at least outside. I love pristine deserts.

Maybe you could build a patio garden enclosed or partially enclosed with adobe or brick walls (or even some kind of latticework) and then try growing your tropicals. you could also build a pergola or large arbor to provide some filtered shade. It would also help block drying winds. That's what the Spanish did with great success.

There are also fast growing trees native to NM, like the Desert willow & Black willow. They are found throughout the state, down in arroyos and along dry creek beds that flood with spring rains, or along riverbanks and creekbanks. Both grow very fast provided they get enough water and would make great filtered shade for your garden.
You can order them through your NM Forestry Division. They have a Conservation Seedling List every year, as do all states, and they are much cheaper to buy than anything comparable you can get from a nursery or garden center, and because they are natives, they will grow successfully in your area.

I grow my Ginger plant in a large pot and take it inside in the fall where it does very well all winter in a sunny southern window. In Spring, it goes back out into the garden under the filtered shade of a tree or under an arbor.

Just an idea.
~sweetannie4u