J writes:

“I’ve been reading your web page & was wondering if you could help me identify the ginger plant in the attached file & if it is edible please?”

That is a Hedychium, probably H. coccineum.

There is a nice write up on one variety here.

This site claims its cousin white butterfly ginger is edible.

As for being edible, my guess is that you could eat at least the blooms, but the plant is probably not all that palatable otherwise. Shampoo ginger is listed as having “edible” roots, for instance, but they taste horrible. I can’t find any data on the Hedychiums being poisonous, but I also can’t find info on edibility. Gingers are a pretty safe family overall, though.

Sorry I don’t have better news. At least it’s a beautiful plant.

And Happy Reformation Day!