The butterfly ginger, Hedychium coronarium, is by far, a ginger that I loved most because it produces extremely fragrant flowers, something that is quite unique amongst plants in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Many people in my community are quite surprised to know that there are gingers that bear fragrant flowers. This ginger’s common name is derived from the flower’s shape which closely resemble that of a butterfly.
Available in various colours, the common varieties found in Singapore’s nurseries are the ones with flowers that are pure white (H. coronarium var. coronarium), white with a yellow spot (most probably H. coronarium var. chrysoleucum, shown in the picture below) and another is salmon in colour (or orange? Most probably a hybrid). Many of the nice hybrids have yet to make their way to Singapore’s nurseries. But I am not surprised if there are some collectors who may have imported some on their own growing in their gardens.
Besides its fragrant and pretty flowers, the butterfly ginger also produces fruits are a beauty in their own right. Recently, I was quite surprised to spot a ripe fruit of the butterfly ginger which had freshly split opened to reveal the seeds. The rind of the fruit was a bright orange, which contrasts starkly with the seeds that were covered in a prominent red coloured flesh. Altogether, it looks delicious enough to be eaten but I haven’t got the guts to try it yet…
