shanghai tang

Ever stepped into the boutique Shanghai Tang, only to be greeted by this all too familiar yet wonderful scent of the ginger lily? The signature scent of the boutique comes from the Hedychium cornonarium and the Hedychium coronarium var. chrysoleucum (pictured left) , otherwise known as the butterfly or ginger lily. Although the plant is popular with many gardeners, it is seldom planted or incorporated into the landscape because it is not terribly hardy and tends to droop over after a heavy downpour, thus rendering a messy appearance. I have not been too successful with this plant and I suspect that it is probably more particular about its soil conditions as opposed to the other gingers. So far, those which I have grown in pots appear to be surviving, though they could probably do with a boost to give it a healthier look. I recall seeing those at FEF with plump rhizomes on the surface of the soil. For some reason, I can't seem to get it to look or grow that way.

Anyway, I would definitely love to incorporate this into my garden and grow it en masse because it is probably the best scented plant to have in the garden.

Longiflora and Longicornutum

There are two species of plants that I have been dying to get my hands on. One of them is the Heliconia longiflora while the other is the Hedychium longicornutum.

A few clumps of the former can be found at the ginger gardens in the Singapore Botanic Gardens. (See pictures above). However, this is not a very common species and doesn't seem to be available for sale online. I have also not seen this in any nursery in Singapore other than the one at Ang Mo Kio, but those were not for sale. Even if they were, they would be exorbitant as AMK is known to have quite the reputation for ridiculous prices. Hopefully the financial crisis might compel them to rethink their pricing. A collector I know has a small clump for sale but it doesn't look particularly healthy. Although he has asked me to name my price, I declined. (I tend to lose interest very quickly when people do that) But I will not give up and will continue to press on with my pursuit for this plant, even if it means waiting indefinitely.

I first chanced upon the Hedychium longicornutum at Woon Leng but it was also not for sale. It belonged to a private collector who leased the premises to house his plants. Like the Helicona longiflora, this species does not appear to have made it to the commercial nurseries nor is it available online. It is however endemic to Thailand and Malaysia, so a trip to the nurseries there or even Chatuchak might be in the pipeline.

The Hedychium longicornutum is probably the only epiphytic ginger known to man. It is also by far one of the most beautiful and exotic Hedychiums around. Although it is epiphytic in nature, it apparently grows better in a pot with general potting mix as opposed to just being attached to a branch.