I had never heard of it before, Spritzhenry, but a quick look at Wiki tells me that it is one of the 100 most invasive plants in the world!!!! However, as it will not tollerate temperatures below -10C and you will be growing it in a pot, that should not be an issue.
Sorry, don't have any cultivation tips, just a bringer of good news!

I tried last year Barbara, it was a tuber I bought, but not one sprout showed. It was in a largish pot in the greenhouse, kept nicely damp, well-drained and warm, but not a sausage!

According to my Tropical Plants book, treat as for Canna, Spritz - it says to pot them into something just big enough, then place in a propagator or warm airing cupboard at a minimum of 20 deg C, keeping soil moist but not wet, until shoots appear. Once they've reached 5 to 8 inches they can be moved to cooler conditions, but a minimum of 10deg C, either in a glasshouse, conservatory or on a windowsill. And the rest you know...

Such a stunning plant Barbara, I really hope it thrives for you. Looking forward to seeing the flower later!

Thanks - I'll shift things round in the propagator, turn it up a tad, and in it'll go along with three pots of Canna 'Tirol'! :-)))

Wish me luck!

What you REALLY needed was H. coccineum or H. densiflorum as they are both hardy-ish. I have a variety of the former, 'Tara', growing outside for five years in a sheltered corner, mulched for winter protection. Came through 2009/10 winter with no problems. Grows from tubers which gradually run, giving a larger and larger clump

I had a very similar experience to Janey, so a big Thanks to Bamboo for the tip!

I have it, and it is very much a weed here. The leaves are used for baking traditional bread (it also put in an appearance on Two Fat Ladies for baking bread) and it is often fed to cows. It is like an Iris - it grows on new growth only, and will die down each year. It also gets 4-5 feet tall and smells like someones grandmother. The roots can get very large, and plant it as deep as you would an iris.

Well, Andrew - that was the only one there, and I felt sorry for it as nobody wanted to buy it! I shall keep it in a pot here to avoid any winter problems.

Wylie - thanks for the info! I can't see it being a weed over here, somehow. lol.

Bit more info in case you're interested, Spritz - "Hedychium gardnerianum .... well worth hunting out...hardiness tender to borderline - with mulching, survives well, Zones 8-11. Site and soil, moist, humus rich, well drained, sun or partial shade." From the same book mentioned before.

Thanks, Bamboo. I shall play safe and keep it in a very large pot! :-)