Don’t you love a plant with a secret? Take queen lily ginger (Curcuma petiolata), for example. The brightly-colored flowers that draw you in turn out not to be flowers at all! This is one of many plants that use colored bracts to draw attention to their much smaller flowers, like poinsettia or bougainvillea. The little flowers are tucked away among the bracts, but they’re lovely in their own right and deserve some admiration, too.

Is Queen Lily Ginger a True Lily?

Queen Lily Ginger
Jill Staake
These plants are also  commonly known as hidden lilies, but they are not actually lilies.

Queen Lily Ginger has a confusing common name. It’s not really a lily at all. Known botanically as Curcuma petiolata, it’s a member of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), and part of the same genus that produces turmeric (C. longa), the main ingredient in curry.

Also known as hidden cone ginger or hidden lily, this plant is native to Malaysia. It has become a common ornamental plant in tropical and sub-tropical gardens around the world, and can be successfully grown as a container plant in colder regions.

How to Grow Queen Lily Ginger

Queen Lily Ginger
Queen lily ginger is not hardy in northern growing zones, so bring it indoors before the first winter frost.

In zones 8 and higher, grow queen lily ginger outside in part-shade to sun (err on the side of shade in hotter climates), in moist, well-draining soil. In zones 7 and below, this makes a great container plant. Move it outside for the summer months while it’s flowering and water regularly. Whether grown in the ground or in a pot, queen lily gingers go dormant in the winter months. Foliage may yellow or die back, even in warmer zones, and you can trim it back if you prefer a tidier look.

Bring containers indoors for the winter and cut back on watering, providing just enough to keep the soil from drying out entirely.

Foliage and Flowers

Queen Lily Ginger
Jill Staake
This pretty plant is in the ginger family.

Queen lily ginger has wide luxurious leaves that grow lushly and almost hide the flower bracts. It spreads by rhizomes and clumps may be divided after several years. The bloom stalks, called inflorescences, make good cut flowers. Multiple varieties are available, with bract colors ranging from white to hot pink and many shades between.

READ ON: Grow tropical ginger lily for late-season flowers

Author
Jill Staake
During the 14 years she's written for Birds & Blooms, Jill Staake has relied on the expertise gained during her time as Assistant Curator of outdoor exhibits at the Museum of Science & Industry, Tampa. There, she helped grow gardens full of host and nectar plants for more than 20 species of native butterflies, raised from caterpillars to sh...
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Jill Staake