Hi Nora,

The rhizomes of all your backyard gingers are medicinal but none are as medicinal as the ginger that you buy in the store. The three wild gingers that grow in Hawai'i are all in the genus Hedychium. There is white, yellow, and Kahilia (red). All are aliens and all are invasive species. All are mildly medicinal but none really shine. The flowers of the white ginger taste good. If you are near native forest you would do well well to remove them.

The ginger that is used medicinally is Zingiber officinale which no longer grows wild and is only cultivated. There is one Zingiber in Hawai'i that grows wild and that is Zingiber zerumbet, called 'Awapuhi. 'Awa means ginger, and puhi means slimy. The fluid from the pink flower is used as a digestive aid and as a hair rinse. I use it as a blessing and to consecrate plant materials.