Practical
Plants

Hedychium spicatum

a perennial member of the Hedychium genus in the family Zingiberaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
1.5 m
Spread
0.7 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - cooked[2]. Eaten in savoury dishes with lentils[3].

Plant part
Fruit

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The rootstock is carminative, emmenagogue, expectorant, stimulant, stomachic and tonic[7][9]. It is useful in the treatment of liver complaints, and is also used in treating fevers, vomiting, diarrhoea, inflammation, pains and snake bite[7][9][12]. The root is used in Tibetan medicine, it is said to have an acrid taste and heating potency[8]. It is digestive, stomachic and vasodilator[8]. It is used in the treatment of indigestion and poor circulation due to thickening of the blood[8].

Product or use
Carminative
Product or use
Digestive
Product or use
Emmenagogue
Product or use
Expectorant
Product or use
Stimulant
Product or use
Stomachic
Product or use
Tonic
Product or use
Vasodilator

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The rootstock yields 4% essential oil[7]. This oil, which has a scent somewhat like hyacinths, is so powerful that a single drop will render clothes highly perfumed for a considerable period[10]. The dried root is burnt as an incense[10].

Product or use
Essential
Product or use
Incense

Environment

Range
E. Asia - Himalayas.
Habitat
Forest clearings, shrubberies, 1800 - 2800 metres[13] from Himachal Pradesh to Arunachal Pradesh.
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a warm greenhouse at 18°c[4]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on for at least their first winter in the greenhouse. Plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts. Division as growth commences in the spring[4]. Dig up the clump and divide it with a sharp spade or knife, making sure that each division has a growing shoot. Larger clumps can be planted out direct into their permanent positions, but it is best to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a greenhouse until they are established. Plant them out in the summer or late in the following spring.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a rich moist soil and a sunny position[6]. They can be grown in a sunny border as a summer sub-tropical bedding plant[[1]. Plants are not very cold-hardy, tolerating temperatures down to about -2°c. They can be grown at the foot of a south-facing wall if given a good mulch in the winter[1][4]. Plants succeed outdoors in Tresco Gardens, Isles of Scilly. This species succeeds outdoors in most parts of S. England, especially if the rhizomes are mulched with dry leaves in the autumn[13]. Plants have been known to withstand temperatures down to -16°c in Germany[5]. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[6]. The tubers should only just be covered with soil[6]. The flowers are sweetly scented, the scent being most pronounced towards evening[10]. Both the bruised and the dried root are very aromatic with a fragrant, somewhat pungent smell that is similar to orris root but more powerful[10].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  3. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩

  4. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Matthews. V. The New Plantsman. Volume 1, 1994. Royal Horticultural Society 1994-00-00 ISBN 1352-4186

    ↩

  6. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

    ↩1↩2↩3

  7. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Tsarong. Tsewang. J. Tibetan Medicinal Plants Tibetan Medical Publications, India 1994-00-00 ISBN 81-900489-0-2

    ↩1↩2↩3

  9. Medicinal Plants of Nepal Dept. of Medicinal Plants. Nepal. 1993-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  10. Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994-00-00 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  11. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

  12. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

    ↩

  13. Phillips. R. and Rix. M. Bulbs Pan Books 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30253-1

    ↩1↩2

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