'CP Raffill' ginger lily is a showy cultivar of the species H. coccineum with 18-inch-long spikes of bright orange-red flowers. The species is native to India, Southeast Asia and southern China, but the cultivar was selected in the UK. The cultivar epithet honors British botanist Charles Percival Raffill (1876–1951), a curator at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The species epithet is the Latin word for “scarlet.” These tropical plants prefer moist, well-drained, humus-rich soils in partial or dappled shade; however, they will tolerate full sun with adequate moisture. This plant will need adequate protection from winter cold. 'CP Raffill' ginger lily has tropical-looking foliage, and the flowers bloom in early summer before most other ginger lilies. It has flowers that are brighter and richer in color than the species. It lends a tropical look to the garden as well as provides nectar for hummingbirds. Use in groups, borders or containers. This cultivar would be at home in an Asian garden, pollinator garden, children’s garden or a rain garden. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No significant diseases or insect pests. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee. More information on Hedychium .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect
Texture
Coarse
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Sheath; Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Papery
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves are alternate and two-ranked along the stem.
Flower color
Orange
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Spike
Flower shape
Funnel; Irregular
Flower size
> 6 inches
Flower detail
18-inch-long spikes of brilliant orange flowers sit on 6-foot-tall clumping foliage.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Green
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Three-part capsules change from green to brown as they ripen in the late fall. Each contains fleshy orange arils around the seeds.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
The pseudostems arise from the rhizomes and are composed of long, succulent, interlocked leaf petioles similar to canna lilies.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
Hummingbirds will take nectar from the flowers.
Attracts
Butterflies; Hummingbirds
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Roots
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Capsule
Edibility
Roots are edible but not flavorful.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Patio; Walkways
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Children's Garden; Garden for the Blind; Pollinator Garden; Rain Garden