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White butterfly ginger (Hedychium coronarium) is not a true ginger, although it is in the same family, Zingiberaceae, as the ginger we use for cooking. As it is in this family it is also related to cardamoms, fingerroot or Chinese ginger, turmeric and white turmeric or zedoary, and galangal (Alpinia galanga), among others. This is native to the Himalayan region, but they are now spread throughout the Pacific islands and other tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world.

The flower and young buds are edible and can be used as a flavouring but their potent smell in the evening shows that their value is in the essential oil obtained from these blooms. The flowers are woven into leis in Hawaii and used in garlands elsewhere in the world too. They are the national flowers of Cuba, although they are not indigenous to the island. They were introduced, but have taken hold in some areas of the island and grow wild now. They were introduced during the Spanish colonial times. There they are called “Mariposa blanca” or white butterfly flower, which describes the blooms admirably well.