Picture #1 is looks like Zingiber Zerumbet. Picture #2 does looks like H. Rubrum. I am only familiar with one other Hedychium that produces the color of flower in your picture and that is called H. Greenii.

Steve

Thanks, Steve!

I knew I had a shampoo ginger somewhere, but had thought it was the orange one until I googled.

I'll see if I can get closer to any of the orange ones and see if the undersides of the leaves are purplish. Since it's spreading rather quickly over a fairly wide area--sparsely spread over 20 feet in a couple of years, vs dense smaller stands that happen from rhizome spread--it makes sense that it's spreading from fallen flower heads. (I read that's what H. Greenii does).

Mahalo!

I have Rubrum and I don't think the undersides of the leaves are purplish. Maybe they are right when they unfurl but the older leaves aren't. There is some purple or red near the leaf stem where it attaches to the stalk. Now, Greenii has purplish under the leaves. Also, Rubrum has a red inflorescence while Greenii has a green inflo. Maybe that helps in the identification.

steve

I fought my way to the orange-flowered plant, and the undersides of the leaves are very purple, so I'm going with Greenii. thanks for all your help!

If you've had that ginger for 5 or so years, then it most likely is Greenii because Rubrum only came on the market less than 5 years ago, and there is only one seller I know of and he lives in Louisiana.

Steve

Just a thought on the red one...if it's greenii, it will make plantlets from the old inflorescence, but not set any pods. If it's rubrum, Steve is right, it will have red bracts and mine set seed pods like crazy, but it never makes plantlets. Bob