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| Category: Tropical |
| Family: Zingiberaceae (Gingers) |
| Origin: Nepal (Asia) |
| Flower Color: Orange Red |
| Bloomtime: Summer/Fall |
| Synonyms: [Hedychium coccineum 'Tara'] |
| Parentage: (H. gardnerianum x H. coccineum) |
| Height: 6-8 feet |
| Width: 3-4 feet |
| Exposure: Cool Sun/Light Shade |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): High Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 0-10° F |
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Hedychium x moorei 'Tara' (Tara Ginger) - A strong growing ginger to 6-8 feet tall with blue-green stems topped with 18 inch long spikes bearing the inflorescence of 4 to 6 fragrant orange-red flowers that appear in succession, or sometimes two at a time, over an extended period from summer through fall. The fragrance of the flowers is likened to that of a Gardenia. Plant in full sun (coastal) to light shade and irrigate regularly. It is a very hardy Hedychium, succeeding in cooler climates than most and is noted as successful to USDA zone 7 (0-10° F). In cooler climates the foliage freezes down but it is evergreen in our nearly frost-free coastal garden. It is considered a superior ginger that blooms earlier and longer than most others. This plant originated from seed collected in Nepal by Tony Schilling of Kew Gardens. The resulting seedlings were uniform and collectively were named 'Tara' in 1972 to honor Schilling's daughter, noting that word 'tara' is Nepalese for "star". It was originally identified as a selection of Hedychium coccineum by Brian Mathew, but more recently as a form or hybrid of Hedychium coccineum with Hedychium gardnerianum by Hedychium specialist Tom Wood and so this plant is currently listed as Hedychium x moorei, a name previously was applied to plants with this hybrid parentage by William Watson in a 1900 issue of The Gardeners' Chronicle magazine. Hedychium x moorei also replaced such names as Hedychium 'Kewense' and Hedychium 'Raffillii'. This plant was held with such regard in England that it was awarded the coveted Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit in 1993. Coincidentally that same year it received this award we named Anisodontea 'Tara's Pink' in 1993, but to honor our Tara, the Rhodesian Ridgeback who roamed our nursery garden back then. We grew this very nice looking ginger from 2004 until 2009, only stopping as as we concentrated on growing more drought resistant plants.
This information about Hedychium x moorei 'Tara' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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