I never really noticed the seedpod before.. maybe because I cut the flower heads off when they are spent. Anyway, thought I'd share this with you. I've had lots of pollinators, hummingbirds, clearwing moths, striped moths and even some butterflies.
Hedychium seedpod
That is neat! I just pruned my spent blooms yesterday and I never thought of them possibly setting seed.
Oh yes they set seed. The seeds are bright red. I get some every year.
I'm going out to look at mine when it gets light out.
good deal.. I'll be looking for that.. hopefully they will ripen before the snow flies
Oh oh, I had better warn the neighbors - my gingers going to look raggedy from now on.
LOL
I've never looked for a seed pod on mine. They bloom late here so they may not have time to ripen.
Hey, guys! Am I supposed to cut the stalk down to the ground after it blooms? Does this procedure encourage new stalks with new blooms to come in? Thanks!
Just think Trish, you could get some new and different gingers!! I wonder how long from seed to flower.
Clare, I would "assume" like other plants the leaves/stalk feed the tuber for the winter months. I normally just cut off the spent flower but leave the rest of the stalk.
Kell.. don't know how long it would take.. I did note while doing walkabout this morning that the seedpod open and sure enough.. bunch of bright orange seeds inside.
Thanks, Patricia!
Clare, Hedychiums, like Zingibers, go dormant for the winter in cooler climates. My Kahili and my Butterfly dry up and disappear each December and remain as underground rhizomes until about April, when they reemerge with a vengeance. Simply let them die to the ground and remove the stems. If it gets really cold, you can always pile the dead stems up on top of the rhizome area to act as an insulator/mulch.
Brad
Hi Brad! Thanks so much for the help. It doesn't get cold enough here for my gingers or cannas to die back. They all grew wonderfully over the winter last year -- so much so that I had to repot and divide them in the spring, and I had just planted the rhizomes the previous summer! This is the first summer that they have bloomed for me, and I didn't know if I should cut the stalk down after it is finished blooming like I do with the cannas. Are you saying that, eventually, the stalk which has bloomed will die down on its own and that I should just wait until it does before removing it? Thanks again!