At a height of 6 – 9 feet, Elizabeth hardy ginger is hard to miss. Her coral pink flowers give off the warm sweet scent of honeysuckle, luring both butterflies and those passing by to stop a moment. Hardy gingers originated in the Himalayas, but have since naturalized in tropical areas around the world. They’re fast-growing, versatile perennials. Just give them rich, evenly moist soil and at least 4 hours of sun. In the North, they can take full sun. In the South, some shade is generally advised.

While you can keep them in the ground year round in zone 7 and south, they can’t take our cold winters here. You can either grow them in a large container to bring indoors, or dig up the tubers after our first frost, and store them in lightly dampened peat for next year.