Spectacular species tend to cause intense breeding efforts for even more spectacular forms - Hedychium is not an exception.
Hedychium 'Anne Bishop' is a slow growing hybrid with large apricot, strong scented inflorescences on thick stems. Photo by Angelo Porcelli
Hedychium 'Carnival' is a Tom Wood hybrid involving the short epiphytic species Hedychium hasseltii which has fragrant pastel orange-yellow flowers and red, sturdy pseudostems to about 4 ft (1.2 m). Photos by Alani Davis.
Hedychium 'Daniel Weeks' is a hybrid from Russell Adams of Hedychium flavescens and Hedychium gardnerianum. It is a vigorous fragrant hybrid which is earlier than most to begin flowering. It reaches 6 ft and is hardy to at least zone 7. Photos by Alani Davis and Angelo Porcelli.
Hedychium 'Dave Case' is a hybrid created by Tom Wood. It reaches 7 ft and blooms late summer through the fall. Photos by Alani Davis.
Hedychium 'Devon Cream' is a hybrid of Hedychium coronarium and Hedychium gardnerianum originated at the famous Great Dixter garden in UK. It is a compact plant with upright stems, 5-6 ft (150 -180 cm) with long spikes of pale cream, very scented flowers, starting in early July. It is a floriferous and fast increasing hybrid. Photos by Angelo Porcelli.
Hedychium 'Doctor Moy' is a hybrid of Hedychium flavum × Hedychium coccineum introduced by the botanist, Dr. Moy, now retired, while at San Antonio Botanical Garden. It has variegated foliage and fragrant orange-yellow flowers with orange throats on sturdy stems about 5 ft (1.5 m) tall. Photos by Alani Davis and Jay Yourch.
Hedychium 'Elizabeth' was hybridized by Tom Wood and has fragrant pink flowers with a salmon butterfly mark mid-summer to fall on 6 ft stems. Photos by Alani Davis.
Hedychium 'Filigree' is a hybrid from Tom Wood involving the short epiphytic species Hedychium hasseltii which gets to about 30 in tall and has many fragrant yellow and gold flowers followed by pods that burst open revealing bright orange interiors and scarlet red seeds. Photos by Alani Davis.
Hedychium 'Gold Flame' is a hybrid by Tom Wood. It is reputed to reach 6 ft (2 m) in height and to be hardy to at least zone 7. Photos by Alani Davis.
Hedychium 'Kanogie' is a hybrid of unknown origin with sturdy 6 ft (2 m) stems and fragrant yellow-orange flowers during late summer and early autumn. Photo taken September 2009 by Jay Yourch.
Hedychium 'Kinkaku' is an old hybrid from Japan with salmon to pink-ish, fruit scented flowers and is hardy to at least zone 7. Photos by Alani Davis and Angelo Porcelli.
Hedychium 'Lemon Sherbet' is a Tom Wood hybrid with tall stems and pale yellow, scented flowers. Photo by Angelo Porcelli
Hedychium 'Luna Moth' is a hybrid with compact, sturdy stems and large, very fragrant flowers. The name refers to the flowers, which have some resemblance to the large and beautiful Luna Moth, Actias luna. Tom Wood, the hybridizer, did not reveal the parents, but it involves the short epiphytic species Hedychium hasseltii and averages around 4 ft in height. While it has been reported to be tender and difficult to cultivate, it thrives in moist soil and full to part shade and is hardy to at least zone 7. Photos by Jay Yourch, Alani Davis & Angelo Porcelli catching the sphinx Acherontia atropos visiting the flowers at night.
Hedychium 'Peach Delight' is a hybrid introduced by Plant Delights Nursery with tall stems and bicolored pale pink with salmon centred fragrant flowers from late summer onward. Photo by Angelo Porcelli
Hedychium 'Pink Flame' is a hybrid by Tom Wood. It is reputed to reach 6 ft in height and is hardy to at least zone 7. Photo by Alani Davis.
Hedychium 'Pink V' is a hybrid by Tom Wood. The name refers the pattern created on the pseudostems by the pigmented margins of the clasping leaf bases and not to the color of the lightly scented flowers which are a peachy-apricot with a darker salmon mark. This hybrid gets to about 7 ft and is hardy to at least zone 7. Photos by Alani Davis.
Hedychium 'Sherry Baby' is a hybrid by Larry Shatzer. Photos by Alani Davis.
Hedychium 'Slims Orange' has narrow, glaucous foliage and small orange-red flowers. It's compact, about 4 ft (1.2 m) tall, and reliably blooms in June, much earlier than any other hedychium, repeating later in the season as most other hedychiums are just getting started. Photos taken June 2007 by Jay Yourch.
Hedychium 'Tahitian Flame' is a sport of Hedychium 'Doctor Moy' with bolder variegation selected by Terra Nova Nursery. It is a strong grower, with upright stems and orange mild scented flowers. Photos by Angelo Porcelli.
Hedychium 'Tai Emperor' is an hybrid of Doyle Smittle with narrow spikes of pink medium size flowers. Photo by Angelo Porcelli.
Hedychium 'Tai Mammoth' is an hybrid of Doyle Smittle with large flowers, resembling a bigger Hedychium coronarium but with a longer blooming season. Photos by Angelo Porcelli.
Hedychium 'Tara' has gray-green foliage and orange flowers in late summer and early autumn. It was previously listed here as selection of Hedychium densiflorum, but it is clearly not. Photos taken August 2009 by Jay Yourch.
Hedychium 'Vanilla Ice' is a sport of Hedychium Doctor Moy with more dramatic variegation selected by Messenbrink's Nursery of Nashville, North Carolina. The variegation is stable and the plant retains good vigor. Photos by Alani Davis and Jay Yourch.
Hedychium 'unknown sp or hyb' is of unknown origins, but appears to be intermediate between Hedychium coronarium and Hedychium thyrsiforme. Whether these species are related to the actual origins of this plant is speculative at best. It reaches 5 ft in height and is hardy to at least zone 8. Photos by Alani Davis.