Zingiber mioga

Description

Zingiber mioga

Zingiber mioga, known as Japanese ginger or myoga, is a fascinating herbaceous perennial that brings an exotic touch to shaded gardens. This architectural plant reaches heights of 120-150 cm, producing upright stems clothed in elegant, lance-shaped leaves. Unlike common ginger, it’s the flower buds rather than the rhizomes that are prized in Japanese cuisine for their subtle, gingery flavour.

The plant’s most intriguing feature appears in late summer, when unusual cream-coloured flower buds emerge at ground level. These buds, resembling small pine cones, develop into delicate pale yellow flowers that peek through the soil. The emerging shoots and flower buds are considered a delicacy in Japanese cooking, offering a unique combination of texture and taste.

Thriving in dappled shade and rich, moisture-retentive soil, this hardy ginger is surprisingly resilient in UK gardens. It creates a bold, tropical effect in woodland settings, shade gardens, or Asian-inspired planting schemes, while dying back completely in winter before re-emerging in spring.