Hedychium 'Tara' Flowering Ginger
Best choice for gardeners seeking fragrant, tropical height in sunny landscapes.
Add a tropical flair to your garden with Hedychium 'Tara', a vigorous perennial ginger. This plant grows 6-8 feet tall, featuring striking blue-green stems topped with 18-inch spikes of fragrant orange-red flowers that bloom from summer through fall. Its scent is reminiscent of gardenia. Awarded the Royal Horticulture Society Award of Garden Merit, it produces 16-inch bottlebrush spikes of bright orange flowers in late summer. It thrives in full to partial sun and humus-rich, moist, well-drained soil. Protect rhizomes from freezing in winter with mulch.
$9.53
Owner Satisfaction
4.6
/ 5
Category Rank
831
/ 2989
#831 in Landscaping & Garden Plants
Price vs Category Average
-66%
Below average
Height
68
/ - feet
Who it's for
- Pond owners needing low-maintenance, weed-suppressing aquatic plants
- Gardeners seeking a fragrant, long-blooming outdoor space
- Landscapers wanting bold, vertical tropical focal points
Who should skip it
- Cold-climate gardeners avoiding seasonal plant storage tasks
- Small-space gardeners wary of invasive, fast-spreading rhizomes
- Busy homeowners unable to provide consistent, daily hydration
Performance breakdown
Aromatic Impact
Gardenia-like fragrance provides a powerful sensory experience for outdoor living spaces.
Visual Presence
Towering height and vibrant spikes create an immediate, high-impact tropical focal point.
Bloom Longevity
Extended flowering window ensures consistent color from mid-summer through late autumn.
Growth Vigor
Rapid development rewards gardeners with substantial foliage and blooms each season.
Maintenance Demand
Requires diligent winter mulching and consistent moisture to thrive in cooler zones.
Hardiness Versatility
Best suited for warmer climates, necessitating extra care in northern garden settings.
Key Specs
Height
6-8 feet
Flower Spikes
16-18 inches
USDA Hardiness Zones
7-10
Sun Exposure
Full to Partial Sun
Soil
Humus rich, moist but well drained
Features
- Fragrant orange-red flowers
- Blooms from summer through fall
- Adds a tropical feel to gardens and patios
- Awarded Royal Horticulture Society Award of Garden Merit
- Vigorous growth habit
What customers say
Customers consistently praise the exceptional quality of the Hedychium 'Tara' upon arrival. Reviewers frequently note that the plants are robust, well packaged, and arrive healthy, exceeding expectations for live aquatic shipments. The primary sentiment revolves around the reliability of this ginger to thrive quickly once placed in the pond environment. Consumers feel confident in the viability of the product, appreciating the strong root systems and immediate signs of growth. This high quality ensures a successful addition to water gardens, justifying the purchase price.
Know before you buy
This vigorous perennial ginger reaches a mature height of 6 to 8 feet. Be sure to provide enough vertical space in your garden bed or large patio container to accommodate its size.
Hedychium 'Tara' thrives in both full sun and partial sun conditions. While it is adaptable, providing at least six hours of sunlight will encourage the most robust flowering.
This plant is hardy in USDA zones 7 through 10. If you live in a colder region, you must protect the rhizomes from freezing temperatures during the winter by applying a thick layer of mulch or lifting the rhizomes to store indoors.
It performs best in humus-rich, moist soil that remains well-drained. Avoid planting in areas where water pools, as the rhizomes prefer consistent moisture without being waterlogged.
You will see 16 to 18-inch spikes of fragrant, orange-red flowers from late summer through the fall. The blooms are known for a distinct scent often compared to gardenias.
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$10