| >>Looks just like the ginger root you buy at the supermarket. Probably Hedychium gardnerianum. Nearly all plants sold as "Hawaiian native plants" are not native to Hawaii. Coffee, Chinese Hibiscus (sheesh, Hawaii has one of the highest concentrations of species of Hibiscus in the world and they ignore them to grow H. rosa-sinensis), Heliconias, all Orchids cultivated in Hawaii (they have precisely 3 obscure natives) including and especially the ubiquitous "Grass Orchids" (from China), Bromeliads (including Pineapples), Anthuriums, etc, are not really natives at all. There are no native Gingers in Hawaii, but one from the eastern Himalaya escaped cultivation and is now ubiquitous in Hawaii and has a Hawaiian name: Khahili. It is an AGRESSIVE plant, declared a weed in many subtropical climates of the world. Pigeons learn to eat the arils and they spread the seed all over, and the rhizomes are capable of growing on bare lava. It is fairly coldhardy and should survive in Virginia Beach, at least once established. Don't disturb it until it starts growing in earnest in warmer weather. When growing in earnest it transplants easily. Harden it off a bit before planting it out. We don't know that this is what you have, but it is a likely candidate, as it is strongly associated with Hawaii, has a typical gingery-looking rhizome, and is very commonly sold as a "Hawaiian native plant". Another possibility is an Alpinia (maybe zerumbet) and those aren't nearly as hardy. Look up both Hedychium gardnerianum and Alpinia zerumbet (sp?) and see which one your plant looks more like. If it is the Hedychium getting it to bloom shouldn't be too much of a problem. It will just need to bulk up a bit (mine has a rhizome weighing around 50 lbs). Your specimen is probably quite small compared to its ultimate size. Hedychiums grow fast when conditions are right. Full sun, rich soil, and plenty of water and fertilizer suit them. Don't worry about them not blooming if you feed them: they are greedy feeders and will bloom in season once they have enough rhizomal reserves. Let them get crowded (that will encourage them to bloom), and don't divide them unless they are actively growing. They are easy to propagate from fresh seed. They like LOTS of water in hot weather when they are growing in earnest, but they like to dry out a bit in cold weather. It is evergreen, but in your climate the foliage will freeze off during hard freezes. This does not kill them, and sets them back only slightly. They bounce right back in the springtime. The flowers vary in color. They can be yellowish or greenish, and one that I suspect is a natural hybrid is orange (that's the one I have). They are quite fragrant, probably more so at night than in the day, and the fragrance is excellent. Mine smells like Hyacinth blossoms very late at night, but I do not know if they all have the same scent. It is a variable plant. Some forms are tall (over 6 feet) and some are short, around 4 feet. | 
