Add an elegant and exotic touch to your garden with this strikingly variegated Myoga ginger plant. This highly sought after variety of Japanese ginger is valued as much for its beautiful foliage as for its culinary uses. Each slender, lance-shaped leaf features creamy white variegation against a fresh green background, creating a light, ethereal effect that brightens shaded areas of the garden.
'White Feather' is a deciduous, clump-forming perennial that typically grows to around 60–90 cm tall, spreading gently via underground rhizomes. In late summer to early autumn, it produces small, pale pink flower buds at the base of its stems. The foliage will die back in the winter and burst into life again in the spring.
Although myoga is from the ginger family, only its edible flower buds and flavourful shoots are used in cooking, unlike true ginger, the Japanese ginger root is not eaten. These edible buds are considered a delicacy in Japanese cuisine, prized for their refreshing, mildly spicy flavour and often used fresh, pickled or lightly cooked.
Japanese ginger uses - In Japanese cooking, fresh myoga ginger is usually served thinly sliced as a garnish, particularly with sashimi, adding a fresh and mild ginger flavour. Fresh slices also work very well in miso soup, or tossed into spring salads. Myoga pickle is easily made with vinegar, salt and sugar. If you still have myoga to spare, then slice in half and fry with butter, or deep fry in tempura batter.
Myoga ginger plants can tolerate partial shade but will also do fine in full sun with dappled shade. Be aware that direct sun can scorch the delicate variegated leaves. Plant in moist but well-drained soil, rich in organic matter.
Keep the plants well-watered, particularly during dry spells, ensuring the soil remains consistently moist but not waterlogged. They are hardy through most parts of the UK (to approximately -10°C); in colder areas, protection or container growing is advisable. Mulching in the winter will help to protect the roots and retain moisture.
Available as a single plant in a 9cm pot or set of 3.
Other growing tips:
- Plant in fertile neutral or slightly acidic well-draining soil
- Mulching in the winter will help to protect the roots and retain moisture.
- Prefers a South, East or West facing aspect
- Leaves will die off after frost, simply remove as needed
- Can be grown in a pot, in which case moving indoors (but not too warm) over winter may be advisable or keeping in a frost-protected spot outdoors
