Cautleya

Cautleya are rhizomatous plants of the family Zingiberaceae that are not well known and are ornamental gingers, just like Hedychiums. These beautiful perennials native to the eastern Himalayas are not widely planted in European gardens, despite the ease of cultivation of some species such as Cautleya spicata and Cautleya gracilis. Forming a beautiful clump of leaves, deciduous in winter where it freezes, cautleyas also charm with their prolonged exotic summer flowering, in shades of yellow, mauve, orange or red. These beautiful perennials are cultivated like Hedychiums, in partial shade, in fertile, free-draining and humus-rich soil that remains moist in summer but not overly wet in winter. In the garden, they naturally find their place in exotic settings. Well-suited for container cultivation, they are also beautiful plants for a lightly heated greenhouse or conservatory. Their stump withstands frost well, but we still advise you to mulch them in winter.