Heliconias are a group of herbaceousplants that bear spectacular, brightlycolored inflorescences. They are commonlandscape items in the warmer areas ofFlorida and throughout the tropics.Widely grown for the florist industry,Heliconias are often called “LobsterClaws” because some of the inflorescencesresemble a lobster’s claw.

The genus Heliconia belongs to theHeliconiaceae Family and is the onlygenus in the family. There areapproximately 200 different species ofHeliconia with numerous hybrids andcultivars found in cultivation. TheHeliconiaceae Family belongs to theorder Zingerberales. Other plant familiesfound in this Order (and the closestrelatives to the Heliconias) include theMusaceae (bananas), Zingerberaceae(gingers), Strelitziaceae (bird-of-paradise)and Cannaceae (cannas). Heliconias arenative mostly to Central America, SouthAmerica, and the Caribbean. A fewspecies are native to the South Pacific.Heliconias grow from rhizomes on stalksthat can range from 1 to 20 feet tall,depending on the species or variety.They have lush, green foliage similar tobananas or cannas. Even when they arenot flowering, their lush foliage gives atropical feel to the landscape. In theirnative habitats, hummingbirds, bats, orinsects pollinate many Heliconias.

Some of the species of Heliconiamake great specimens for the CentralFlorida landscape. They are easy to growand virtually pest free. In the landscape,give Heliconias a good rich soil. Whenplanting, mix a good amount of organicmatter (cow manure, peat, compost,

etc.) into the soil and surrounding areas.Plant the Heliconia deeper than it is inthe container. This will help with stabilityof the plant. Heliconias often formrhizomes near the surface and our loose,sandy soil tends to allow the stalks tolean or fall over, especially with theadded weight during flowering. Thesmaller species can be planted 2-4 inchesdeeper than they are growing in thecontainer but the larger ones can beplanted up to a foot deeper. Heliconiasalso need to be kept moist, as they arenot very drought tolerant. MostHeliconias do well with part sun andpart shade though some need full shade,depending on the variety. Heliconias arealso heavy feeders, similar to bananas.Fertilize them 3 to 4 times a year usinga good general garden fertilizer, such asa 6-6-6 or 10-10-10

The stalks and foliage of Heliconias arecold sensitive and will be damaged orkilled back to the rhizomes by temperaturesaround 30°-32° F. If frozen down, theywill grow back from the roots but manywill not flower until the following year.Plant them in a protected location. Theydo well under tree canopy and this helpsprotect them from frost and freezing

temperatures. Once a Heliconia stalkflowers, it will eventually die.

Here at Leu Gardens, we have beengrowing and experimenting the last fewyears with different Heliconias to findones suitable for our climate. Here arethe ones that we have found suitable forCentral Florida.

Some of the smaller Heliconias willdo well in the landscape or in containers.Heliconia angusta ‘Holiday’ is a dwarfvariety that only grows 2 –3 feet tall. Itbears red inflorescences with white flowersduring Christmas time. Heliconiadensiflora ‘Fire Flash’ is also a smallerplant reaching 3-4 feet tall. It bearsreddish-orange inflorescences. Heliconiapsittacorum has dozens cultivars andseveral of these are widely available atnurseries and gardens centers. ‘Andromeda’is a dwarf only growing 1-2 feet tallwith orange inflorescences. The otherscommonly found can reach 3-5 feet tall.These include ‘Lady Di’ with red bractsand yellow flowers, ‘Kathy’ withorangish-red bracts and orange flowersand ‘Strawberries and Cream’ withstrawberry-red bracts and pale yellowflowers. Though Heliconia psittacorum iscommonly available, it is a borderline

He l i con iasfor Central Florida

Heliconia hirsuta‘Peru’Heliconia hirsuta‘Peru’

plant in our area. It issensitive to cool weatherand usually will godormant even if it doesnot freeze. They do notdependably return fromthe rhizomes in CentralFlorida but are commonenough and sold cheaplythat they could be usedas annuals. Heliconiapsittacorum is one of thefew that will flower in asingle year’s growth.

There are manymedium sized Heliconiasthat can be grown in ourclimate. These plantstypically grow in the 4 to6 feet tall range. Heliconiahirsuta ‘Peru’ grows onvery slender stems toabout 4-5 feet tall. Itbears small, reddish-

orange inflorescences. Heliconia lingulatahas leaves that are large and oval inshape. The inflorescences are brightorangish-yellow. The cultivar ‘Fan’ isusually seen. ‘Spiral Fan’ has inflorescenceswith a spiral arrangement. Heliconialingulata is another species that willbloom on stalks less than a year old.Heliconia orthotricha ‘Eden Pink’ grows5 to 6 feet tall with pink and whiteinflorescences. Heliconia pendula bearsinflorescences that arependulant or hang downfrom the plant and grows 5to 6 feet tall. ‘Frosty’ is acultivar with pinkish-redbracts and white flowers.‘Red Waxy’ bears redinflorescences. Heliconiarostrata is one of the morewidely grown Heliconiasand has one of the mostbeautiful inflorescences.The bracts are bright redwith a bright yellow lip.The flowers are pendulantand are about 12 inches inlength. Typically, thisHeliconia grows 4 to 6 feettall and is one of the best

Heliconias to grow in Central Florida.Heliconia schiedeana is probably thehardiest of all the Heliconias. Even thefoliage can tolerate slightly lowertemperatures before being damaged,usually in the 28-29° F. range. It grows 5to 6 feet tall with inflorescences thathave red bracts and yellow flowers. ThisHeliconia was uncommon but isbeginning to be grown bymore nurseries and is anotherexcellent species for ourclimate. Heliconia spissa isunusual as it has leaves thatnaturally divide into segments.The inflorescences have yellowand red bracts with yellowflowers. It grows 4 to 5 feettall. Heliconia vaginalis grows5 to 6 feet tall. The bracts arered with yellow flowers.

Several varieties of tallHeliconias can be grown inCentral Florida. This group ofHeliconias usually grows over6 feet tall and can reach up to 10 feet inour climate. Heliconia latispatha is onethat is sometimes seen in local landscapes.There are several cultivars of this species.‘Orange Gyro’ bears inflorescences withbright orange bracts. This is usually thecultivar of Heliconia latispatha mostcommonly grown ‘Yellow Gyro’ hasyellow bracts while ‘Red-Yellow Gyro’has red bracts with a yellow base.

‘Distans’ is a smaller form with red andyellow bracts and only grows 3-5 feettall. Heliconia x pabstii ‘BrazilianBomber’ is a large growing plant thatcan grow 6-12 feet tall. It is a crossbetween H. bihai and H. pendula. Theinflorescences are deep red. When theyfirst emerge they are upright but after

some time they begin to arch over andhang down. It has also been known as‘Hot Rio Nights’ and ‘Dmitri Sucre’.Heliconia x ‘Richmond Red’ is a hybridbetween H. caribae and H. bihai. Itusually grows over 8 feet tall and bearsdeep maroon-red inflorescences. Thereare dozens of other Heliconia caribae andbihai hybrids. Either of the parents aretender plants that usually won’t survivein Central Florida but some of thehybrids seem to have some hardiness.

– Eric Schmidt

FOR MORE INFORMATION

BOOKS:Heliconia by Fred Berry and W. JohnKress, 1991, Smithsonian InstitutionPress

Tropical Flowering Plants by KirstenAlbrecht Llamas, 2003, Timber Press

The Tropical Look by Robert Lee Riffle,1998, Timber Press

INTERNET:Heliconia Society International:www.heliconia.org

Heliconiaschiedeana

Heliconia psittacorumx spathocircinata

‘Yellow Parrot’