Ginger Lily, also known as Kahili ginger, isn’t your favourite spice but rather a seriously invasive member of the ginger family.
Grown for its large flowers and “tropical” ornamental appearance, this Himalayan native can form dense colonies that outcompete native ground covers and shrubs. Ranking as one the top 100 most invasive weeds in the world, Ginger lily can gradually dominate shady areas with fertile soils such as our precious coastal rainforests. By growing large leaves and deep root systems, it crowds out other plants and prevents many trees and shrubs from germinating.
Ginger lily is mostly disseminated by seed, spread mainly by birds and other animals. Seeds have a short life, with few sustainable after a year. Ginger lily eventually forms long-lived monocultures that negatively impact animal habitat. It is also poisonous to grazing animals.
Ginger lily is a long-lived herb with leafy stems rising up from thick ginger rhizomes growing near the soil surface. Stems can reach 2m tall and feature large, glossy dark green leaves around 40cm long and 15cm wide, often overlapping along the stem. It has large flower heads at the ends of the stems with sweet-smelling, bright yellow flowers with red stamens. These then form large clusters of orange fruit which open to reveal bright red, sticky seeds. These seeds are spread by birds, and the plant will also grow from dumped rhizomes in garden waste.
Ideally, these plants should be removed and can be replaced with wonderful native ginger, Alpinia spp.
Think you might have Ginger Lily?
Contact your Biosecurity officer for identification and advice on Ginger lily, or look up NSW WeedWise
