Dolan Champa / Butterfly Lily
Hedychium coronarium
Also known as Common Ginger Lily, Butterfly Ginger Lily, Garland Flower, White Ginger
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra & more
- Flowering
- July-October
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Hedychium coronarium
- Genus
- Hedychium
- Family
- Zingiberaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Moist deciduous forests, also grown in gardens
- Habitat type
- Forest, Cultivated
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, Malay Islands
- Found in India
- Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Assam, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu
- Flowering & fruiting
- July-October
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Typical of the Zingiberaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
Typical of the Zingiberaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Hindi
- दोलन चम्पा Dolan champa, सौगन्धिका पुष्प Saugandhika pushp,सुगंधी अदलिया sugandhi adaliya
- Nepali
- दुध केवरा Dudh kewara
- Bengali
- সুগন্ধি আদলিয়া
- Tamil
- Chankitam, Chantikantam, Chantiramullikai, வெள்ளை இஞ்சி
- Telugu
- Kichchiligadda, Vasa Vasanthi, తెలుపు అల్లం
- Kannada
- ಸುರುಳಿ ಸುಗಂಧಿ Suruli Sugandhi
- Malayalam
- Elipoochedi, സുഗന്ദി Sugandhi, സൌഗന്ദികമ് Saugandhikam
- Marathi
- सोनटक्का Sonatakka
- Sanskrit
- गन्धशुण्ठी
- Gujarati
- સુગંધિત આદલિયા
Dolan Champa in India
This fragrant plant, known as दोलन चम्पा Dolan champa (Hindi), Chankitam (Tamil), Kichchiligadda (Telugu), ಸುರುಳಿ ಸುಗಂಧಿ Suruli Sugandhi (Kannada), Elipoochedi (Malayalam), सोनटक्का Sonatakka (Marathi), is grown widely for its striking white flowers. Hedychium coronarium is found across Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Assam, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, typically in moist, shaded ground.
Uses
It's grown almost entirely as a fragrant ornamental for its butterfly-shaped white flowers, which are also occasionally used in garlands for their strong sweet scent.
How to Identify Dolan Champa
A tall, reed-like herb growing from an underground rhizome, with broad, banana-like leaves arranged alternately up the stem. Flowers are pure white with a butterfly-like shape and a strong, sweet fragrance, clustered atop the leafy stem.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Butterfly Lily called in different Indian languages?
- दोलन चम्पा Dolan champa (Hindi); Chankitam (Tamil); Kichchiligadda (Telugu); ಸುರುಳಿ ಸುಗಂಧಿ Suruli Sugandhi (Kannada); Elipoochedi (Malayalam); सोनटक्का Sonatakka (Marathi); সুগন্ধি আদলিয়া (Bengali); સુગંધિત આદલિયા (Gujarati); गन्धशुण्ठी (Sanskrit).
- Is this related to ginger?
- Yes — it belongs to the ginger family (Zingiberaceae) and grows from a similar underground rhizome, though it's grown for its fragrant flowers rather than as a spice.
- Why are the flowers called 'butterfly-shaped'?
- Their broad, white, unevenly lobed petals fan out in a way that resembles a butterfly's wings, giving the plant its common English name.
Zingiberaceae
Ginger family
Dolan Champa belongs to the Zingiberaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Zingiberaceae family →Snap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
All plant problem & care guides →More in Zingiberaceae
View all Zingiberaceae →Sources: GBIF — Hedychium coronarium (India distribution & vernacular names) (CC BY 4.0) · Wikipedia — Hedychium coronarium (background/comprehension only) (CC BY-SA 4.0)