This plant will definitely give your landscape a tropical look with its unique flowers that appear almost year-round. You can use them to fill up a blank area or place along a fence, you can even plant them in pots and place along your porch or beside your pool.
How to care for Heliconia
Light. Grows in partial shade and also takes some sun.
Water. Keep the soil moist; heliconias are only slightly drought tolerant. They handle wet soil better than dry.
Soil and feeding. Mix compost into sandy beds before planting. It tolerates acidic and alkaline soil. Fertilize regularly during the growing season.
Size. Grows to about 6 ft and spreads 3–6 ft. Space plants 3–5 ft apart.
Problems to watch. It spreads aggressively by underground stems; install a root barrier to keep it out of nearby beds.
Good to know. Suited to zones 10B–11. An occasional freeze can kill the tops to the ground, but new shoots return in warm weather.
Sources: UF/IFAS EDIS FPS249/FP249: Heliconia spp., Heliconia · UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions: Heliconia
