This fragrant plant grows as a clumping perennial, and is hardy from USDA zones 8b to 10a. It have both ornamental and medicinal properties. Generally, it prefers bright, diffused light, which it receives for about four hours each day.
Used for Medicinal and Culinary Purposes
The shampoo ginger lily plant is a tropical, clump-forming herbaceous perennial with a spicy fragrance and a long history of use in medicine and food. The plant is native to Southeast Asia and can grow up to 3 meters tall. The plant has showy flowers that appear in August and September, and
Use of Bull’s Horn
The plant is known by many names, including “Shampoo Ginger Lily.” The common name is Zingiber zerumbet, which means “bull’s horn.” The plant’s rhizome is a reed-like stem with a sheath of eight leaves. When squeezed, the fragrant inflorescence gives off a milky-white, transparent substance that used as a hair conditioner.
Grow Shampoo Ginger Plant from Seed
Hedychium is an easy plant to grow from seed. Seeds should collected in late fall and planted as soon as possible indoors. They need a warm, moist environment to germinate, and should protected from extreme cold. The best time to germinate Hedychium seeds is 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Seedlings should kept warm and well-fed, and transplanted outdoors during the next warm season.
Grooming and Maintenance
This plant prefers full sun, but it can also tolerate partial shade and should receive at least six hours of direct sunlight a day. It can withstand short-term freezes, but it needs protection in case of a sudden, sharp freeze. In the spring, frost cloth used to protect the plants from the cold.
Ornamental and Medicinal Plant
Shampoo Ginger is a monocot plant native to Southeast Asia. It is a tropical perennial that can grow up to three meters tall and produces showy blooms on its flower stalks. It has aromatic leaves and thick rhizomes. It is used both as an ornamental and medicinal plant. The roots of the plant contain a yellowish-green substance that squeezed to produce a thick, oily liquid.
Flowering and Fragrance
The flower stalks of the Shampoo Ginger Lily Plant produce showy, creamy white or yellow flowers, which emerge from a pinecone-shaped flower head. The flowers contain a fragrance that is similar to a ginger-y flavor. These flowers useful as a temporary insect repellent. It blooms more profusely when watered frequently early in the growing season. It can also benefit from fertilization in early May to promote lush growth during the summer. Eventually, the flowers will fall off and die back to the ground.
Soil and Transplanting
The shampoo ginger lily is a tropical plant that thrives in moist, warm conditions. The plant lays dormant during the winter and reactivates in spring with new growth. It prefers a well-drained, moist soil. Shampoo ginger is best planted in a partially shaded area
Propagate Shampoo Ginger Plant from Rhizome
The shampoo ginger lily plant is a perennial herb in the Zingiberaceae family. Its rhizomes contain a milky, transparent substance when squeezed. This squeezable oil used as a natural hair conditioner. The plant’s inflorescence can grow between two and four inches in length, and is often used as a flowering plant.
Ornamental Plant
This plant is widely grown as an ornamental plant. Its erect flower clusters are yellow when young, and mature to red as the plant matures. This plant is used in local cuisine and in traditional medicine. Its flowers are small and delicate, with yellow spots on them. In Costa Rica, this plant flowers from March to November. During the dry season, the flower stalks buried beneath the ground. The plant produces a milky-white substance that is commonly used in shampoos and hair conditioners. Its wild pinecone form is also commonly known as bitter ginger, because of its use as a culinary additive.
Rule of Thumb
If you are growing a Shampoo Ginger Lily plant, you may be concerned that it is susceptible to root rot. In order to prevent this, it is important to keep the soil well-drained. A good rule of thumb is to water the plant when the top 5 cm of soil feels dry. It is important to water the plant regularly in winter, but don’t over-fertilize. You don’t want to cause the roots to rot and spread disease.
Shampoo Ginger Lily Plant Pest and Disease Problems
Although the plant is not susceptible to rhizome rot, it can be susceptible to a number of pests and diseases. Its growing season is late spring through early fall. During winter, the plant goes into dormancy. You should water the plant once a week or more. Always remember to water directly from the soil instead of soaking the leaves. Watering too much can result in fungal infections. If you decide to grow a Shampoo Ginger Lily, make sure to plant it in a pot with drainage holes. Also, use distilled water instead of tap water.
