Hedychium flavescens

Yellow ginger, Yellow Ginger

Family: Zingiberaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Yellow ginger is a naturalized perennial found in Santa Cruz County, spreading along perennially irrigated creek beds in redwood forest at elevations around 115 meters. Producing large creamy yellow flowers with an elongated oblanceolate lip, this tropical plant creates dramatic floral displays in its introduced habitat. Growing with robust rhizomes that fragment and spread, it can form dense clusters with impressively large leaves reaching up to 55 centimeters long and 10 centimeters wide. Its leaves have a distinctive ligule measuring 4 to 5 centimeters, with elliptical blade-like structures that contribute to its lush, tropical appearance. The plant's perianth and broad flowers emerge in inflorescences up to 15 centimeters long, with lanceolate bracts 4 to 10 centimeters in length.

Habitat: Spreading along perennially irrigated creek bed in redwood forest, from garden, by fragmenting rhizomes

Elevation: +- 115 m.

Bioregions: SnFrB (Santa Cruz Co.)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.