Common Name:

General Information

Hedychium flavescens is a stout, aromatic, herbaceous perennial plant forming a cluster of stems growing 1 - 2.5 metres tall from thick, fleshy rhizomes[]. The rhizomes spread outwards to form a thick, dense carpet that excludes any other plant growth. The large oblong to lanceolate leaves are 20 - 50cm long by 4 - 10cm wide[, ]
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. The root is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations. The plant is often grown as an ornamental, valued especially for its beautiful, fragrant flowers[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - southern China (Sichuan), Nepal, northeast India, Myanmar, Vietnam

Habitat

Agricultural areas, rainforest, moist natural forests, planted forests, riparian zones, ruderal/disturbed land, urban areas and along roads; it can also become a serious weed in riverbanks, natural forests and forest edges[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	2.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Hedychium flavescens is a plant of the humid tropics, where it can be found at elevations up to 2,000 metres, occasionally to 2,300 metres[]. It prefers areas with a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,000 - 5,000mm, a mean annual temperature of 11 - 20°c. Being native to high elevations, it can also tolerate cooler temperatures if growing in fully humid climates, and is known to tolerate light to moderate frosts, though they may kill above-ground plant parts[].
The plant prefers to grow in open, light-filled environments which are warm and moist, but it will readily colonise semi and full shade under forest canopies[]. Requires a well-drained soil of medium to high fertility[].
Hedychium flavescens has been introduced to many locations around the world as an ornamental and subsequently escaped cultivation to become a weed of significant economic importance in countries with favourable moist and warm climates. It is considered a noxious weed in New Zealand, where it threatens native forests; in La Réunion it outcompetes native plants and forms dense stands in wet areas such as ravine sides, roadsides, native forest margins and disturbed forests, and in Hawaii it tends to be confined to forest edges but also impacts negatively on the ecosystem. Its spread and dispersal is facilitated by vegetative regeneration of its dense rhizomes, which allows it to cover large areas of land and prevent the re-growth and establishment of native species, endangering rare and specialized plant communities[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant has medicinal uses[].

An essential oil obtained from the rhizome contains 43.6% beta-pinene. The oil has been shown to be an effective antimicrobial[].

Other Uses

An extract of the root is used as an ingredient in commercial cosmetic preparations as an emollient[].

The flowers are used in making leis in Hawaii[].

Propagation

Seed - this is often not formed[].

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