Hedychium densiflorum ‘Assam Orange’

Ginger Lily Zingiberaceae

A particularly robust ginger lily with a distinctly exotic appearance but a surprisingly hardy constitution, ‘Assam Orange’ produces upright stems clothed in broad, lance-shaped leaves and topped from late summer with dense spikes of intensely orange flowers. The warm colour is particularly effective as the herbaceous border begins its autumn descent, and the substantial foliage provides interest long before flowering.

Its provenance is unusually well documented. The plant derives from a 1938 collection by the celebrated plant hunter Frank Kingdon-Ward, made along the Phutang–Balipara Frontier Track in Assam, India, at approximately 2,000 m altitude. ‘Assam Orange’ is therefore best regarded as a horticultural name attached to the Kingdon-Ward collection rather than a modern hybrid cultivar. Plants circulating under the name may ultimately descend from this original material, although seed-raised plants should not automatically be assumed to be genetically identical to the original clone.

In cultivation it is surprisingly accommodating. Give it fertile, humus-rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade, with shelter from drying winds. A generous winter mulch is advisable in colder gardens. It benefits from a long growing season and reliable summer moisture, rewarding this treatment with a substantial clump and late-season display.

Despite being associated with warm Assam, this is one of the more useful ginger lilies for the British garden, particularly in a sheltered position. Fragrance is not claimed here, as it has not been reliably documented for this particular selection.

Height: 1.2–2 m
Spread: 60–100 cm
Flowering: August–September
Hardiness: H5, approximately –15 to –10°C
Growing conditions: Fertile, humus-rich, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil; full sun to partial shade. Shelter from cold winds and mulch the rhizomes in winter.
Collection: Frank Kingdon-Ward, 1938; Phutang–Balipara Frontier Track, Assam, India, approximately 2,000 m.
Botanical status: Hedychium densiflorum ‘Assam Orange’; a horticultural name associated with the Kingdon-Ward collection rather than a modern bred cultivar.