Zingiber mioga, commonly known as Japanese Ginger, is a hardy rhizomatous perennial originating from Japan, China, and Korea. It’s an excellent ornamental plant and can add quite a tropical feel in a shady spot where other exotics might not thrive.
The species has green leafy stems to about 1m, 3ft, and pale yellow orchid-like flowers at the base of the plant in September. It’s very hardy and likes woodland conditions in at least partial shade. It doesn’t like to be too wet in the winter. There is a slightly more vigorous form, Z. mioga ‘Crug’s Zing’, collected by the Wynn-Joneses in Korea, which has delicate pink flowers.
There are also three variegated cultivars, ‘Dancing Crane’, ‘Silver Arrow’ and ‘White Feather’. These are still hardy, though not as bone hardy as the species, so a protective winter mulch might be wise in colder areas. Of the three, ‘Dancing Crane’ is the most strongly variegated, with broad white streaks on a slightly shorter growing plant. ‘Silver Arrow’ is also quite distinctive, with marked creamy veining radiating from the leaf base. ‘White Feather’ has a more subtle variegation, with a narrow white edge to the leaves.
The flower buds and young spring shoots are eaten in Japanese and Korean cuisine., and the plant is used medicinally in China. Although related to true ginger, Zingiber officinale, the roots of Zingiber mioga are not edible, and neither are the leaves or stems.
The Japanese name of the plant, Myoga, has a number of stories attached to it. In one, a forgetful disciple of the Buddha struggled to remember his own name. When told to wear a name tag, he would forget that he was wearing it. When he died and was buried, an unfamiliar plant was found growing beside his grave and named ‘Myoga’ (the kanji of which literally mean ‘to carry a name’) in memory of his efforts.
Much later, in the 16th century, Myoga stalks were apparently woven into sandals for horses called umagutsu, which helped traction in wet conditions and also disguised the sound of horses’ hooves. To discourage people from eating the shoots and ensure a plentiful supply of the useful stems, the above story was turned around to associate Myoga with forgetfulness, and claim eating it made you stupid.
Myoga buds are one of the 10 most common family crests in Japan. During the Sengoku period, many samurai chose Myoga as their symbol on the battlefield as the name is a homophone for ‘luck’.
Japonica Plants Nursery 