Tip of the Week – Focus on Heliconias
Come with us to the Heliconia and Ginger Farm
and enjoy the vivid live colour of these amazing heliconias while we are shown how to prepare them for sale with our short video below.
Heliconia bihai ‘Banana Split’
Heliconias come from only one Family….called Heliconiaceae. They are different to Gingers. Heliconias have the spectacular claw like bracts. The bracts vary greatly in shape, size and colour combinations. The plants vary in height from 50cm to 4.5m. They all have broad luxuriant leaves similar to Banana (Musa species) to which they are related. Heliconias will give you that lush tropical look and a source of flowers for your garden or cut for a long lasting decoration.
Origin & Ecology
Heliconias come from the tropical Americas where they are an important food source for the forest Hummingbird while the Honduran White Bat makes a tent from its leaves!! The Hummingbirds do most of the pollination but bats also known to do so. Seed dispersal is by birds if they can before eaten by mammals.
Flowering
Flowering is truly amazing but the speccy bract is not the true flower which is tiny by comparison but obvious when you see it popping out of the bract which has evolved to protect it. Flowering occurs within the bract in summer. Heliconia angusta varieties do so in later winter.
Some Examples
We have access to a very wide variety of Heliconias. Here are some of the most popular the more cold tolerant ones with an (c). Heliconia angusta (c), H. rostrata (c), H. pendula (c), H. bihai (c), H. caribaea, H. latispatha, H. psittacorum, H. schiediana, and H. wagneriana. Also hybids H. bihai x caribaea and H. psittacorum x spathocircinata.
Rhizomes
Supply energy to the plant for growth. They are thickened roots full of starch.
Climate & Cold Tolerance
The Heliconias originate from tropical climates but many will grow & flower in warm temperate climates. They do like plenty of moisture but will still hold up in dry conditions due to their starch filled rhizome. We have found some that will flower in the warm protected parts of Sydney and Perth and these are included in our Cold Tolerant Collection. The Heliconia bihai varieties are more cold tolerant than the Crosses with Heliconia Caribaea.
Care & Soils
Easy care but they do like moist well drained conditions. They will be OK in dry weather once established. Good in the sun with good moisture. Will flower in sun or shade but prefer good sunlight. All round fertiliser.
Propagation
Usually by separating or cutting rhizomes. Growing from seed is possible but you will be waiting a long time if you can germinate them.
Supply
We supply a wide range of Heliconias…usually by rhizome as many are too big to send by courier in a pot.
