I'm an equal opportunity killer, losing cheap ones as well as pricey ones. When searching some threads, I notice people in the Carolinas have successfully overwintered these lovelies. Why can't I?
Your tips will be appreciated.
Overwintering Heliconias, what works for you
I'm looking for tips also. I have several in the ground and even temps down to the 50's have been hard on them.So far, I've cut one patch to the ground & mulched heavily. Any other hints?
hi nery, i will be interested in this too. i purchased 2 small, blooming H. psittacorum 'Choconiana' and put them in the ground this fall. of course, we had a frost like 3 days later and they both browned up instantly. we've had several frosts since then, but at least one plant is trying to put up new growth. i'm not going to encourage that by clipping away the dead stuff until late spring, if it's still alive then! lol from what i've read, they will come back from the roots but mine didn't get much chance to root in well, so we'll see.
hey missy. You know, I used to be fastidious about dead foliage in winter and would clip it off quickly so the garden would look neat. Over time I realized that dead foliage is Nature's blanket in many instances and so now I let it be. Stuff looks bad but I feel really good that they have extra protection. And it sure looks like we'll need all the protection we can get this winter, brrrrrr!
i know, it's driving me crazy seeing that brown junk sticking up but i just glaze over and concentrate on looking at the blooming stuff! lol
Most heliconias are not suited to zone 9A winters. Unfortunately the smallest ones, the psitticorums, are also among the least cold hardy. Your best bet in heliconia-land is to dig them up, pot them, (or at least a representative specimen, to save and replant later) and keep them under protection til Spring. Or, if they are cheap enough in your area (like they ar ehere) to buy them as annuals every year.
Heliconia do not behave like ginger, canna or banana. There isn't a 'dormancy'. When they freeze to the ground, they in effect have to start life over the next time it warms up. Either they will, or they will die if the interval is too long.
This is actually why I decided I had to have a greenhouse in zone 9A. I could never have this outside here. I lugged this plant from my old house in a 35 gallon tub and planted it. It was over 12 feet tall then. In this photo its about 16 ft or so at its tallest point. The blooms don't even START til over 8 feet up. I had grown this plant from a single rhizome start, over 2+ years, into this huge monster that I could no longer overwinter inside the house. If I had let it freeze back, it would either have died, or, I would be starting from square one again.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/Bihai/PrinceofDarkness-1.jpg
Holy crap gothqueen! that's a BIG heliconia!
I tried to grow one that's supposedly hardy here in the ground 2 winters ago and it died by spring. I know now that it was too small; although it might not have survived even if it was bigger.
I've always wanted one, but am running out of greenhouse room. Crap!
Barb
I'll be darned goth. I thought they were like cannas and nanas and was sure I was not taking care of them properly. I have recently purchased a small variegated, my third one and this time I will overwinter inside the house. I have no idea whether this one will get as big as yours (yours is gynormous!!!!). One thing for sure, if this one croaks I will swear off heliconias.
You rarely see them at local nurseries so I can't tell if they are pricey. They have been pricey online. Thanks for the info.
I'll be darned goth. I thought they were like cannas and nanas and was sure I was not taking care of them properly. I have recently purchased a small variegated, my third one and this time I will overwinter inside the house. I have no idea whether this one will get as big as yours (yours is gynormous!!!!). One thing for sure, if this one croaks I will swear off heliconias.
You rarely see them at local nurseries so I can't tell if they are pricey. They have been pricey online. Thanks for the info.
I found in my "heliconia growing years" that they always get bigger than the literature says they are going to. A variety that they say will get 8 feet invariable gets 12-16 ft. I had Rostrata in the greenhouse that were 20 ft. You could walk under the blooms.
If you want ones that will stay small, that you can keep in pots, there are a few choices. Heliconia angusta "Red Holiday" is one. But, its cousin H. angusta "Yellow Christmas", is not. It gets large over time. Another is the Dwarf Jamaican. But that one can be finicky for some folks. Heliconia hirsuta gets about 5 ft and will bloom readily in a container. Its also pretty well behaved.
Even though hybrids like "Golden Torch" are supposed to be dwarves (and in effect, compared to big growers like Caribaeas etc they ARE) they still get bigger than the 3-5 ft advertized. I had stands that were taking over, that I had to dig out, that were 8 ft. Here is a photo of some, with a big Heliconia Criswick in the background
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/Bihai/GoldenTorchwithCriswick.jpg
Another "smaller" variety that will stay about 4-5 ft is 'Valentine'. It looks like a miniature 'Bucky'. I throw these cultivar names out here, but, as always, its buyer beware. You may not be getting what you think you are when you buy single rhizome starts, unless you are buying from a really reputable nursery, like Heliconia Paradise or Tropical Paradise. Another good place to get reliably named plants is at sales where the vendor is actually a member of Heliconia Society International.
I hate to say it, but, backyard South Florida gardeners selling their extras on eBay sometimes do not really know what they have, and a lot of red heliconias look alike.
This is Valentine
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v466/Bihai/Valentine.jpg
This message was edited Dec 17, 2008 2:07 PM
hey goth, maybe you can help me ID some of mine. I know among the ones I bought are "guyana", "tropica" and "Lisette".
Here's one...
another...
a third...
That's Tropica (Psitticorum x spathocircinata hybrid). Guyana looks similar except its more red than orange. Lisette is a straight psitticorum, it looks like a pink Lady Di to me.
I think we cross posted. Your second looks like it will be Guyana, the third Lisette
thanks --making note of your input!
Vossner if you can, you might consider trying to keep that cooler over the winter than is in the average house (but way above freezing). It drastically raises the humidty if you can. I have one I'm overwintering in my unheated garage (50's F usually, rare dips into the high 40's) under bright light (1000w MH), and I notice it is prone to spider mites if I don't keep the leaves washed. Average house temp/humidity may be too dry.
- Tom
thanks Tom, I will leave it in the garage.