Heavenly Gingerlily

She grows unassumingly in many places and yet she holds her head up high with her multiple meanings, like strength and resilience, in different cultures throughout history. Independence in Cuba, affection and love in Hawaii or even wealth and beauty in Victorian England, the ‘Heavenly Gingerlily’ flower is represented across wide territories by giving interpretations to her. Flowers are not only something that you can admire but they also can communicate deeper symbolic meanings, through floriography; the language of flowers. Find out more here in Heavenly Gingerlily.

In Victorian England, wealth and the ability to travel were status symbols. Go to someone rich’s house for dinner and you might see a pineapple on the table. Why? Because it was a foreign item which would have been expensive to transport, meaning it showed off their wealth. So, if someone owned a pineapple, their status would quite literally be on display.

With that, the expansion of the British Empire into new territories is what led to the wealthy English botanists being able to show off more of the world’s exotic species. And flowers, like the Ginger Lily, were maintained in conservatories at the time, not being locally grown at that time. This ultimately led to their downfall, because after fuel prices began to rise, effecting maintenance of the greenhouses and the upkeep of the exotic flowers became nearly impossible.

Only in the 60s was the flower more widely popularized again, raising her head above the parapet once more. Tony Schilling, former Curator of Wakehurst Place at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew introduced new species of the Ginger Lily after returning from a trip to Nepal, rekindling the European love for the flower.

To some, the Ginger Lily represented a new love affair with its beautiful bloom, but it translated far deeper meanings to others. During the time of Spanish colonial rule, it is said that women would use the flower to carry secret messages in order to help with the Cuban effort to gain independence. Referred to as mariposa, due to the butterfly-like shape of its flowers, white ginger lilies are now the national flower of Cuba celebrating its independence.

Despite its many meanings and multiple decrypted messages, the flower originated in the mountainous regions of southeast Asia, where it diversified and migrated due to geographical and climate-related factors, proving that it was a mighty plant before humans personified its symbolic nature. It is no wonder why so many interpret her as an elegant, yet tough ginger lily flower.

When Jacques Chabert, Master Perfumer, visited a botanical garden and saw the ginger lily, the idea for a fragrance was born along with the Molton Brown, Heavenly Gingerlily collection.

Image Jasmine Gillanders

Celebrating over 20 years of the original fragrance and the beauty of this striking flower, Molton Brown is releasing limited-edition versions of the products showcasing the image of ginger lilies on the bottles.

The scent of Heavenly Gingerlily is a mixture of tamanu nut oil, warming ginger and extract from the white lily forming a tropical scent reminiscent of the captivation Victorian era gardeners had with the tropical flower.

“I love to create fragrances that transcend trends. Heavenly Gingerlily captures that at its very essence. Its delicate yet sensuous floral signature is artfully tinged with piquant cardamom and fresh hyacinth. It’s graceful and exudes an expressive aura through its flower-rich heart.”

Jacque Chabert, Master Perfumer

The limited-edition collection features products including Bath & Shower Gel, Body Lotion, Fine Liquid Hand Wash and Hand Lotion as well as Scent.

This spring scent which will be available in-store and online Wednesday, 1^st March is a sign that like this hardy flower, we too have survived the winter. 

To find out more about Molton Brown click here. To find the Heavenly Gingerlily collection click here.

If you enjoyed reading Heavenly Gingerlily then why not try Fragrant Scents.

.Cent Magazine London, Be Inspired; Get Involved