Hedychium hasseltii is a tropical Hedychium endemic to western Java. Its natural habit is epiphytic but, like the Javanese epiphyte Hedychium horsfieldii, Hedychium hasseltii seems to thrive in ordinary potting compost. Again like Hedychium horsfieldii and typical of epiphytes, Hedychium hasseltii has thick and somewhat brittle roots covered with a velamen.
Hedychium hasseltii is a small plant, flowering at about 60 cm tall, and can readily be flowered in a 3 litre pot. The elongated, spindle-shaped inflorescence has imbricate bracts which are densely covered with brown silky hairs. Kept warm enough, Hedychium hasseltii is capable of flowering at any time of the year and produces white flowers which have a lovely spicy scent particularly in the evening. Somewhat bizarrely, the scent is just like that of a really good old-fashioned clove pink (Dianthus).
I have overwintered plants at a minimum of about 7ºC which is warm enough to see them safely through the winter but not warm enough to get them to flower in winter. However, plants over-wintered at 7ºC flowered at the end of August.
The white flowers have very long corolla tubes, which can exceed 10 cm. Traces of the scent and flower shape of Hedychium hasseltii can be seen in the hybrid 'Luna Moth' to which it has contributed.
Hedychium hasseltii is a plant only for the heated greenhouse or conservatory under light shade. It could be brought into the house when in flower.