White garland-lily facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White garland-lily |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Hedychium
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| Species: |
coronarium
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Hedychium coronarium, also known as the white garland-lily or white ginger lily, is a beautiful flowering plant. It grows year after year, making it a perennial plant. This plant belongs to the ginger family, called Zingiberaceae. It naturally grows in the forest undergrowth in parts of Asia.
People also call it by other names like butterfly lily, fragrant garland flower, Indian garland flower, or white butterfly ginger lily.
Contents
What is the White Ginger Lily?
This plant grows upright and can reach between 1 to 3 meters (about 3 to 10 feet) tall. It has long, pointed leaves. Its white flowers are very fragrant and have yellow parts at their base. In its natural home, these flowers bloom from August to December.
You can usually find the white ginger lily growing in forests.
Where Does the White Ginger Lily Grow?
This plant is originally from the Eastern Himalayas. This area includes parts of India (like Sikkim and Tripura), Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan. It also grows in northern Myanmar and Thailand. Further east, it is found in southern China (Yunnan, Sichuan, Hunan, Guangxi, and Guangdong) and Taiwan.
Growing White Ginger Lilies
People grow the white ginger lily in warm temperate and subtropical areas around the world. They grow it because it is a very pretty ornamental plant. In China, it is grown for medicine and to make aromatic oil. This oil is popular because the flowers have a strong, pleasant smell, often compared to jasmine.
How Hardy is the White Ginger Lily?
In warmer places, the plant stays green all year. This means it is evergreen. But in places with mild winters, like some parts of North America and Europe, its leaves fall off. This makes it a deciduous plant there. In the UK, the Royal Horticultural Society says it can survive temperatures down to -5°C (23°F) in mild or coastal areas.
The White Ginger Lily in Cuba
The Hedychium coronarium is the national flower of Cuba. There, it is called mariposa, which means "butterfly." This name comes from the shape of its flowers. Long ago, during Spanish colonial times, women would wear these sweet-smelling flowers. Because the flowers have a complex structure, women would sometimes hide secret messages inside them. These messages were important for Cuba's fight for independence.
The plant now grows wild in the cool, rainy mountains of Cuba. You can find it in places like Sierra del Rosario, the Escambray Mountains, and the Sierra Maestra.
Is the White Ginger Lily an Invasive Species?
Outside of its native home, the white ginger lily can become an invasive species. This means it can spread quickly and harm the local environment. It often grows in shallow water, along streams, and in wet areas. Once it starts growing, it is hard to stop. This is because it spreads underground using its roots, called rhizomes.
The plant was brought to Brazil a long time ago. It is believed that people who were enslaved brought it there. They used its leaves for mattresses. Now, it grows wild in Brazilian states like Rio de Janeiro (where it is considered invasive), Bahia, and Espirito Santo.
It was also brought to Hawaii around 1888 by Chinese immigrants as an ornamental plant. Now, it is a big problem in wet areas of Maui and Hawaii island. The plant is also invasive in South Africa, where it is listed as a weed. It is against the rules to grow it there. It is also an invasive plant in New Caledonia.
Gallery
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White ginger lily flowers
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Close-up of the flower
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White ginger lily in India
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Botanical illustration (Curtis)
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White ginger lily plant
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See also
In Spanish: Hedychium coronarium para niños
