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Hedychium coronarium attractive to snakes/rodents?
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Posted by camiafan Killeen, TX Z8/9 (My Page) on Fri, Sep 17, 04 at 20:09
| Hello. Is there anyone out there who is so successful with white butterfly gingers that the plants have really multiplied a lot in his/her garden? I was wondering if you have noticed any snakes, rabbits, rats, etc. that like to feed on the rhizomes, or just 'cool off' among the plants. My sister and I think it would be neat to have a lot of these plants in the garden, so that we can enjoy the fragrance and sight from having a lot of their flowers, but we sure wouldn't like any of these animals in our yard. Thanks for your information. |
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RE: Hedychium coronarium attractive to snakes/rodents?
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These usually die back in the winter. What's worse are Sanseverias. They're evergreen and great habit for mosquitos and spiders.
If your white gingers get that crowded, divide them and sell or trade! Can you imagine having a garland made from the flowers? Fantastic!
kevin |
RE: Hedychium coronarium attractive to snakes/rodents?
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| We live in an area where we have rattlesnakes and copperheads. The trick is to learn to watch where you step. I have a pretty dense area of gingers ( probably about a 50 ft square), and have never seen a snake in them. However, I do watch where I step. I don't think they draw snakes any more than any other hiding place would. I don't go sticking my hands down in the pinestraw mulch without raking through it first and wearing heavy gloves. Gingers are just too wonderful to miss out on because you "might have a snake". Snakes can be anywhere. |
RE: Hedychium coronarium attractive to snakes/rodents?
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| Thanks, KayinMS. Wow! A 50-ft square of gingers? How many years did it take to get this nice growth? What kind of sun exposure do they get? How much do you water them? Do you fertilize them? Have you dug into the ground to see how dense the rhizomes are? What kind of soil are they in? Did you have to prepare that whole area to encourage that lush growth? Do your rhizomes tend to come up into the surface of the ground? Mine do. I hope this isn't bad for the health of the plants. You must spend a lot of time in your garden to enjoy that sweetness. I have only three groups of plants (two in pots, one on the ground) that are currently in bloom, and I already enjoy the sweet breeze that blows from them. I can just imagine how beautiful your garden must be. Congratulations! |
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