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When you desire to add a soupcon of the tropical zone to your landscape , patio , deck or sunroom , you ca n’t go wrong with thetropical potted plantsof Heliconia .
There are approximately 190 plus Heliconia plant species and numerous varieties . These elegant , impressive tropical , flowering industrial plant rate in sizing from a couple of feet mellow to a towering twenty - five foot tall in the state of nature .
The heliconia leave look standardised to sometypes of banana trees , with flower bract emerging from the plant like a bunch of banana .
Heliconia Quick Care Tips
bloom range in shape , size of it , and colour count on the Heliconia variety . Heliconia fancier often refer to the bloom shapes as a lobster claw , parrot ’s nib , or pleated devotee .
Because they are tropical , these Heliconia plants prefer a consistent temperature of 60 ° degree Fahrenheit or greater .
A few hardy salmagundi can tolerate somewhat cool weather , but all varieties like a semi - tropic or tropical setting to fly high outdoors twelvemonth - round .
Heliconia Plant Quick Growing Guide
menage : Heliconiaceae
Genus : HeliconiaOrigin : Central and South America , and the southwest Pacific , Ecuador , and PeruCommon Names : False bird - of - Shangri-la flower , Heli , Wild plantain , Lobster - claw , Parrot nib flora , Toucan beak
usance : The works are desirable outdoor perennial in the landscape or as container works in tropical or semi - tropical configurations . In the US , they do very well in southerly Florida and Hawaii . Smaller varieties may be keep as indoor plants in cooler climates .
Height : Depending on the variety , plants run in stature from two or three feet to fifteen feet marvelous or more .
USDA Hardiness zona : Tropical South – Zone 11 ; however , some growers do well with them in zones 9 and 10 with right sheltering and other precautions .
Flowers : The big , long - lasting flush get in shades of red , orange , yellow , pink and green . bloom spike may be several feet retentive . Bracts and flush provide habitat and food for small birds , lizard , and insects . The flowers make bluff add-on to cut flower designs . For just results , cut flowers in the early morning hour and place them in water supply at once .
foliation : When kept in a tropic stage setting as a perennial , the foresightful frond of this flora are evergreen . In cooler surround , result naturally go bad back in cold ( 50 degrees Fahrenheit or lower ) weather .
Basic Care and Maintenance Requirements : Heliconias do well in full sun to part refinement in shelter emplacement . mellow winds can do significant impairment and dampen leaves to grant pathogens to enter . These plants like a light , well - run out soil that stays consistently moist . When kept outdoors during the leap and summer , the soil must not dry out from one watering to the next . When kept indoors during the autumn and winter months , come down lacrimation and take normal guard against rotting root .
Miscellaneous : In their natural habitat , false bird - of - Eden provides an first-class source of food for hummingbirds . Insect pollinator are also pull in to their bright peak and dulcet ambrosia . The bird known as the Rufous - breasted troglodyte builds its nest in the magnanimous heyday of the plant .
Heliconia Rostrata is a Show Stopper In The World of Landscape plant
Of the yard of plants I ’ve grow over the last 50 yr , I ’ve never met anyone who did not love to look at the bloom on H rostrata . We always grew them in a 15 gallon pot . When planted in the earth and large clumps are allowed to reach their full growth potential the vivid bright flower color are arresting .
Heliconia rostrata ( image above ) are beautiful landscape plants . With an upright growth wont and promising colored cernuous flush they are a show stopper in any garden .
The Basics of Good Heliconia Plant Care
These bluff , exotic tropic plants make a real program line in any yard , garden or patio circumstance .
Ranging in foliation shades from bright lemon yellow to a thick burgundy , the substantial blossoms are hard to miss .
Some heyday bract are sozzled and just ( lobster claws ) , while others string up in cernuous spirals .
The genus is made up of approximately 195 species , and most of them come up from South and Central America .
In the South Pacific , you ’ll find half a dozen separately develop coinage that all produce unripe flower .
The wild plantain is closely tie in to banana and ginger plants . It is also a full cousin of the trueBird of Paradise flower – Strelitzia .
Because these plant grow from rhizome , they spread quickly in an ideal surround . Like other rhizomatous plant life , they may provide some value in areas that require protection from erosion .
Because they like to grow in systematically moist soil , they may be skilful candidates for occupying low - lying areas of the landscape where other plant might be subject to radical rot .
In the correct setting , a dependency of lobster claws will run rearing and tally a dramatic , alien tropical feel to the landscape painting .
If you do n’t have a landscape painting , you need n’t desperation . Many cultivar thrive happily as containers or even pot plants .
These plants are herbaceous ( non - woody ) . Like the banana tree plant , these plants have a pseudostem , made of leaf leafstalk sheaths that overlap to support the weight of the flowers and the leaves . [ reference ]
Each of these stems flower just once . When flowering is complete , the pseudostem collapses , dries up and dies .
For this reason , it is wise to cut the pseudostem back entirely when the blossom fade . This helps the plant conserve vim and pose a tidier show .
Although some Heliconia species like full sun , the most natural scope for them is partial shade . In the wild , they are found in woodland glade where they get brilliant , dappled sunlight . They also like to raise on river Sir Joseph Banks where they can get salutary sun and consistent water .
Heliconia Growing Conditions
Like all plants , the Heliconia will do well when give the right conditions . Let ’s take a look at what they need to make them thrive .
Keep The Soil Light, Airy and Rich
These plant prosper in well - draining soil and are generously amended with dilapidate constitutive subject , providing a natural aliment seed .
A combination of leaf compost , garden loam , and a fleck of guts make a planting mix deep in nutrients that resists becoming compacted .
Provide Ample Light for Vigorous Flowering
Although false birds of paradise grow in forests in the wild , remember that they choose to be in clearings where they will receive a minimum of six hours of bright light daily . This is necessary for abundant and constant flowering .
When kept in humbled visible light , the works produce lot of riotous leave but few flower . down in the mouth light also causes flora to make more height as they reach for the sun .
If you only have a low-cal or fond specter mount for these plants , be sure to assay varieties that favor this kind of environment . Some good choices includedHeliconia stricta ‘ Carli ’s Sharonii’and Heliconia pendula .
Provide Ample, Consistent Watering
The angry Musa paradisiaca likes to be water , and the soil should be stay fresh systematically and uniformly moist . In very red-hot climate , you may postulate to water a couplet of times daily .
H2O at priming coat level ( expend soaker hosiery for the garden ) rather than spray the plant as splash piddle can carry fungal spores to the farewell causing damage . [ germ ]
If you regain you have a problem with root hogwash as indicated by curling leaves and/or brownish leaf , it is an reading your grease is not light and airy enough . Amend it to create a more freely debilitate grease motley .
Keep in intellect that this lacrimation modus operandi does not apply to newly plant rhizomes . Remember that they can be subject to roots decompose because they do not yet have any foliage and heyday to pledge up excess urine .
Also , interestingly , some character rise entirely in water system . One example is Heliconia densiflora ‘ Fireflash ’ .
Heliconias Love Fertilizer!
Some agriculturist do not fertilize , choosing instead to supply nourishment through differenttypes of constitutive fertilizersto progress a soil plentiful in organic affair , a large industrial plant with lots of blooms will jubilantly go through a great deal of fertilizer .
Pruning and Maintaining Your Heliconia
The Heliconia plant does not call for much pruning . It form itself , and since the leaves are long fronds , several feet in length , trimming them is not necessary or suitable . When you do remove a leaf , you should remove it entirely .
If your plants have so many leaves that make it difficult to see the flowers , totally remove the block large leave by tailor them all the way back .
When cutting prime from smaller change , rationalize them off at ground storey as this allows more light into the beds and encourage side shoot growth .
Thoroughly remove damage or dead leaves , and trim away dead flower staunch entirely . To do this , hack them back as most to the ground as you’re able to . When the podium has dry out up , just remove the difference with your fingers .
Recommended Reading :
How to Care for Heliconia Indoors
In many areas of the US , the heliconia is unsuitable for outdoor ontogeny . Luckily , these dauntless yet alien plants adjust quite well when kept as solarium or greenhouse specimen or even as humble houseplants .
With the right territory , fertiliser , tearing regime and ecumenical care , false shuttle - of - Eden grow fairly rapidly . If you pop out your plant from a rootstalk , you may expect larger species to hit full height and begin flowering within a twelvemonth or two .
small psittacorum assortment are even quicker . you’re able to expect maturity and blossoms in under a year . [ reservoir ]
Both large and small varieties can grow indoors in pots ; however , little mixed bag are course better beseem for this intention . If you do take to keep a orotund , tall plant , common sense will prescribe the use of a bombastic and heavy flowerpot to preclude toppling .
retrieve , heliconias need plenty of light and warmth to flower well , so a heated greenhouse or sunroom is idealistic . If you’re able to not ply this sort of specialized scope , choose a southern or westerly windowpane that gets good sunshine and stay quick .
If you do not have a windowpane that beget at least six hour of sun a day , append with fluorescent grow light .
Be careful not to place your plant too close-fitting to the window as it might take a pall . These plants prefer a steady temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit . They should never be subject to temperatures low-down than 50 arcdegree Fahrenheit .
pee cautiously and watch out for signs of waterlogging and root rot , though this is unlikely if you have the correct soil mixture and a pot with good drain . Daily lacrimation is probably not necessary . Indoors , you should allow the soil to become somewhat teetotal before watering again .
Fertilize very lightly , if at all , indoors . Most cultivator recover that a potting medium full-bodied in organic compost provides plenty of nourishment for indoor outgrowth .
Keep humidity grade mellow by set deal on a tray of pebbles and water . The container should pose on top of the pebble and not come in contact with the H2O . As the weewee evaporates , it render the plants with ambient humidity . Remember to check the water daily and refresh it as needed . Ahumidifier is also a good option .
Many growers have found that plants kept in intermediate sized muckle ( 12 - 14 inches in diameter ) seem to do better indoors than those kept in very large pots . orotund pots promote more leaf and base growth and few flower . to boot , intermediate - sized pots seem to keep the size of the plant under ascendancy .
When you have kept your Heli indoors all wintertime , be thrifty when moving it out of doors in the springtime . motivate it out too betimes could damage it and/or keep bloom .
hold back until the first buds appear and then indurate the plant off carefully with short visits outdoors after all danger of Robert Lee Frost laissez passer . Gradually move it to its unexampled summertime locating .
When keeping your Heli indoors , wanderer mites in the theater may be a problem . To keep them , pass over the leafage down with amild solution of neem insecticide oiland H2O from prison term to time . Examine your industrial plant frequently and remove any leaves that have become infest with spider mites .
How to Care for Heliconia Outdoors
In tropic and semi - tropical areas these plants can thrive outdoors all year around . In some areas that experience pretty cold winter ( down to USDA 8b ) , anecdotical grounds suggests that the hardy varieties ( e.g. , Heliconia schiedeana ) may die back during the coldest months but mature back from the etymon when fond atmospheric condition returns . [ source ]
To boost this , it ’s a good mind to mulch thoroughly around the plant recently in the declension . This will help protect the root from quiver .
When constitute heliconia outside , be certain to select a bright setting . Many growers prefer an eastern picture , which put up only break of day sun is best .
ply well - debilitate territory rich in constitutional matter . Keep the soil evenly moist and water once or twice a mean solar day as needed . Feed oftentimes using a chondritic ho-hum - acquittance plant food . Once a month , boost this with a feeding of a water - soluble fertilizer .
recall these plants are used to growing in a naturally protected forest environment . Be sure to protect them from eminent malarkey by planting near a wall or fence . Excessive wind can snap off flower bracts , and flay leaves .
Heliconia Pests and Disease
Healthy uncivilized heliconia implant outside have little or no problem with pesterer .
Some growers note that ants like to travel about on the plants and savor the nectar of the peak , but they do n’t seem to do any harm . Birds may damage the plant a bit , but sharing with them wo n’t cause too much harm .
Rats and mice may eat various role of the plant . If this happens , you will of course postulate to deal with them by holler in a pest control specialiser , setting traps and/or making careful and responsible for use of poisons . Take tending not to harm good wildlife !
Excessively water flora and/or ones not implant in a sheltered location with proper growing medium may have problems resulting from soil pathogen and / orfungal diseases ; however , if you handle for your plants correctly they should not be blight by these problem .
Propagate by Rhizome or Seed
It is rare to propagate these plants by germ as doing so is a lengthy and inconsistent cognitive process .
Most nurseries and online trafficker of Heliconia rhizomes for sale crack segment , which are soft to plant and grow . Just conform to these steps :
Some growers feel that they get better results by starting rhizome in a grunge - free spiritualist such as sterilized potting compost , vermiculite and/or perlite .
If you are embed a freshly harvest rootstalk , allow it to dry out for a couple of days before embed . This will help forestall germs and/or fungus entering through any wounds where the section was separated from the parent plant . You may care to seal it with a bit of pruning sealer if you have some on hand .
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Use Seed Planting for Rare Varieties
In most caseful , you will require to go with rhizome planting , but if you have your fondness place on a rare form that is only available by seed , you ’ll surely want to give it a go . Just keep in mind that the sprouting period of time of these seeds is very long , range from a single month to an entire year . Germination rates are sketchy .
With any fortune , you should have diminished works that can be kept as potted plant within 2 - 3 calendar month . You ’ll desire to protect them very carefully from chill and wind for the first season alfresco even in the summer months .
Select the Right Heliconia For Your Setting
The first footstep toward winner with Heliconia is deliberate option . Making the right-hand choice for your space will help insure your plant fits in graciously and does not whelm your home , patio , sun lounge or yardwith its size .
Remember some of the with child species can reach heights of fifteen feet or more , so these might make a safe houseplant for one time of year , but after that , you will need to conceive of something to do with them !
Dwarf miscellany ( e.g. , dwarf Heliconia psittacorum or Heliconia stricta ) stay smallish , top out at about a foot and a half high . These plant can make wondrous , houseplant for many years .
In addition to height , keep flush time in thinker . All false razz - of - paradise are long blooming , but some form ( psittacorum ) bloom yr - round , making them even more suitable as houseplants .
Before you buy any lobster claw plants do some inquiry on the various species . Have a few in mind before you begin shopping .
The Most Popular Heliconia Varieties:
Heliconia psittacorum
Commonly known as Parakeet Flower , Parrot ’s Beak , parrot ’s peak , parrot ’s flora , parrot ’s clapper , popokaytongo .
It ’s no admiration that the Parakeet Flower is the most popular type of Heliconia . There is a great spate of choice to be had within this gentle - to - grow smorgasbord , and it is also easy to develop than most other types .
The H. psittacorum industrial plant is comparatively stocky , ranging from one to six feet eminent . The blossom clusters are relatively small at only seven column inch in duration .
Bract gloss vary , and you may find orange , red , pick discolor and multi - colored bracts on the same plant life .
tubelike shaped , genuine blossoms fare in shades of red , orange and yellowish with white or dark-skinned immature tips . It is this tip which give the rosiness its “ parrot lingua ” appearance . The attractive , unusual flowers make excellent additions to veer flower arrangements .
The works bloom abundantly throughout the year , so it is an excellent choice as a houseplant . When blooming is complete , the plant produces a drupe of reddish - orange yield .
Psittacorum looks quite a fleck like its cousin-german , the Bird of Paradise ( false birdie of paradise ) . It has reed - like stems and foresightful , pointy banana - like , red - edge leaves with a coppery sheen . The attractive heliconia leaves have prominent midribs in shades of sexy pink and bone .
Because of its adaptability and variation in sizing and color , Psittacorum is a great choice for almost any software . It does just as well as a potted plant , bedding plant , landscape characteristic or container industrial plant for your deck , patio or poolside .
Heliconia Angusta
coarse name : Red Holiday or Red Christmas – is a lovely poinsettia option . As for Heliconia coloration during the holiday season , you may count on gay color as this plant produces pink - red bract with unripe and bloodless sepal .
This variety is quite small and usually stay at about two feet high . Under ideal condition , it can produce to four fundament in high spirits . This is a tint loving variety , so it is a great selection as a houseplant or as a container plant on a shaded deck of cards or terrace .
Heliconia Bourgaena
AKA Peterson is a larger specimen attaining high ranging from four foot to eighteen feet . These showy plants grow striking bract of flowers in red , crimson and pink with a black distal lip .
The shoots and main straw are also quite dramatic in a deep spook of purple . These plants require full sun and are an splendid pick for a large , outdoor garden in a tropical mount .
Heliconia Bihai
make love as the “ Yellow Dancer ” plants attains tallness between five and fourteen feet . Its leaves variegate in distance from two foot to six feet . Lobster claw - shaped bract in refinement of yellow or reddish orange produce pallid greenish - white flower and are similarly Brobdingnagian . This is a in force choice as an outside plant .
Heliconia Caribaea
call “ Purpurea ” by some the plant ranges in peak from seven to twenty invertebrate foot . Its leaves are standardized to those of banana plants and can reach five feet longsighted . low-pitched folio and stems at the base of the plant exhibit a bloodless , waxy covering .
H. caribaea produces immense , upright bract in red and/or sensationalistic and bloom cluster in white with greenish tips . Bloom time is February through November . These plants prefer full Dominicus , but they can tolerate as much as sixty percent shade .
Heliconia rostrata
Commonly have it off as the “ Hanging Lobster Claw ” is very popular because of its colourful , unusual inflorescence . This plant produces large , pendulous , bright red blooms in dazzlingly yellow bract that can reach length of three feet .
When H. rostrata is grown in the ground , in an idealistic setting , it may grow as tall as fifteen foot . When kept in a container , it usually grows to between four and five feet high . When it reaches this height , it begin blossom .
It’s Hard to Avoid Becoming a Heliconia Collector!
It is promiscuous to see why so many gardening enthusiasts look at the Heliconia species a must - have house industrial plant and/or summation to the tropical garden .
For most gardener , Heliconia psittacorum provides ample sort to suit any use from potted houseplant to individual landscape specimen .
If you hanker for even more alien variety in your tropical garden planting , explore a few of the other suggestions we have made here .
