This is a heliconia (dwarf rostrata) that brugie gave me over a year ago, it's blooming now two gallon pot and about 3 ft tall, has two flowers. The regular kind gets much taller so I like this one for pot culture.Can be placed where you can enjoy it.Just wish heliconias didn't get such ratty leaves before they bloom. :-)
Thanks brugie ! :-)
Closer look
I love this. I have the fire and ice heliconia in CA zone 9 I got last year from e-bay. A really nice plant. So far no blooms. Any tips on getting it to bloom. I have it outside now but don't know about winter. We do get an occasional frost.
Your is beautiful.
Linda
COOL! Love the vandas in the bg!
Kalola
Linda most heliconias bloom in our summertime.Feed often and water when needed ,do NOT keep wet..just slightly moist.Lots of half day sun.
Eclipse, thats exciting to hear that heliconias bloom every summer for you. This spring I got about 6 variaties in and am growing them in pots. Wasn't sure if they would bloom. What numbers do you use with your fert and how strong? Do you do am or pm sun, and I am assuming its direct sun? You overwinter in the grhouse or do you have them go thru dormancy ( not sure if they even can)?
I mostly got the psittacorum var. because I figured that they would bloom easier, but I did get a few larger variaties-like some carribbeas and a wagneria. Its good to see a rostrada blooming-is it the same size as the reg rostrata bloom or smaller because the plant is a dwarf version?
I keep them in a greenhouse in winter.They (psitticorums) will bloom even in winter indoors.Fertilizer is just 20-20-20 used at standard rate. only feed in the summer.half day sun outdoors for most kinds morning is best, if the leaves burn, give more shade.Heliconias are mostly jungle floor residents so need filtered or early day sun.
The dwarf rostrata is similar in size of flowers as the larger form.Flowers aren't as long as the reg sized type.
Thanks for the info...you just opened a new door for me ( probably one that my credit card isn't going to like!!) lol
Try Montoso gardens in PR, inexpensive and good rhizomes.
that is a great online nursery-you are right-great prices and a nice selection of heliconias. will be figuring out an order with them tonight. They have a white torch ginger! Not for online sale, but have never seen one of those. I wish their palm list was available to online ordering! Do you have anymore places like that? lol I'm like a kid in a candy store with these plants. Just got some plumerias in from Maui Plumerias and some really nice looking plants from Zone 9 Tropicals-the bananas are almost 4' high, and a good selection. Got a musa 'milky way' and some other ornamental bananas that I didn't have, and a erythrina that is hardy here, and 2 costus ginger that are hardy here too.
i grow most of my erythrinas from seeds. I have about 8 kinds now.
