Heliconias
About Heliconias
The divas of South America, heliconias play an integral role in dramatic tropical landscape. From the lofty Heliconia mariae to the liliputian Heliconia humilis “Jamaican Dwarf”, landscape gurus revolve entire gardens around them. They are undoubtedly the stars, immaculately adorned with their bright red and yellow flowers that scream for attention amid their luxuriant foliage year round. It is also the same large blooms that turn heads in the cut flower industry, of which their have huge bearing.
Their cult following can also be attributed to their spectacular flower bracts that may be loud and brazen, to being as subly tinted as a watercolour.
In the wild, their flowers are pollinated by none other than their equivalent in terms of splendor-the hummingbirds. Their range is unbelievable, from the lowlands scaling all the way up to the cloud forests. Most of them grow below 1200 fweet, but still others move all the way up till 6000. They grow by rivers or even in areas with seasonal drought as they demonstrate their adaptability to such diverse conditions.
Their ease of cultivation makes them worthwhile additions to any garden, especially those of the Balinese type, of which they add zest to the desired flavour. No one can actually go wrong with these favourite garden subjects in terms of cultivation and visual impact while they take centre stage and run the show. So why not give heliconias a try?
Care
Soil: Regular garden soil or burnt earth would suffice for cultivation. Nevertheless, regularly plough the surface to ensure good aeration.
Containers: Best planted in the ground, however, heliconias can do comparatively well in large pots. Use plastic as terracotta and clay pots tend to be fractured and cracked by their vigorous rhizomes.
Watering: Once or twice daily, but not in the hot sun as this will result in scorch marks on their foliage.
Light: 20% shade to full sun. Too much shade would result in weak and spindly stems.
Fertilizers: Heliconias are greedy feeders. Feed monthly with commercial preparations of organic fertilizers.
Maintenance: Each plant stalk blooms but once and should be cut back to the ground after that.
Propagation: By dividing the clump.
Products
1.Heliconia wagneriana ‘Rainbow’
A gently hued pineapple and scarlet heliconia, it blooms very freely and a large clump can be grown in a very short time. A favourite cut flower and one of great ornamental value.
2.Heliconia chartacea ‘Sexy Pink’
This plant has pendulous bracts of a hot pink and blue-green descending from its naturally “torn” foliage. It’s graceful form is much like a flamingo and it’s ease of cultivation is phemnomenal.
3.Heliconia caribaea ‘Purpurea’
A deep red flowering heliconia, this plant is not as widely used as expected. Its beauty epitomizes the typical heliconia and it is widely grown in the Americas, where it originates, but not in Asia. This plant is still very rare and difficult to obtain in Singapore.
4.Heliconia caribaea ‘Cream’
A citrus flowered version of the above mentioned cultivar that blooms to a lovely rouge noir. Adds a tangy zing to the garden.
5. Heliconia bihai ‘Lobster Claw 1’
Orangey red bracts are produced on this easy plant that look like lobster’s clawsd. Hence it’s common name.
6.Heliconia x rauliniana
Spiraling down in a corkscrew fashion, this red and yellow beauty from South America is still very much sought after also due to its rarity. Its blooms are spectacular and definitely a sight to behold.
Posted at 09:44 pm by ryan su aka sujatabhatt
