Heliconia
Heliconias have very colorful bracts held in pendulous clusters. Each bract contains several florets. Spanning nearly 200 species, Heliconias come in shades of red, yellow, orange, and green.
Family: Heliconiaceae
Species: Heliconia spp.
Origin: Native to South/Central America and the Southwest Pacific Islands.
Symbolizes: Heliconia represents youth, pride, and great returns.
Also Known As: Lobster Claw, Toucan Beak, Wild Plantain and False Bird-of-Paradise
Care, Handling & Design
Temperature: 55-60F (13-16C)
Humidity: 75-85%
Water: Medium water quality, avoid softened water.
Vase Life: 10-14 days
What to Look for When Purchasing
Harvest fully mature. Flowers often do not continue development after harvest, so choose stems with the most open buds for best display. Stem size can vary from 8 inches (20 cm) to 12 feet (3.7 m) tall.
Foam Info
Flowers are heavy, use a foam that has the proper strength to hold flowers
Design Tips
Best when designed with other tropical flowers and foliage so you can store arrangements at the same temperature. Be sure if designing in foam to cut stems at a sharp angle and insert into an adequate amount of foam. Stems are heavy and foam will break if not inserted properly.
Ethylene Sensitivity
Low
Pest & Disease Information
Susceptible to Botrytis.
Troubleshooting
Heliconias are tropical flowers and can suffer from cold damage (black spots on the flowers) if kept in a cooler below 55F. The larger diameter and longer stemmed flowers tend to last longer because they are able to hydrate better. Split leaves (damage during shipping), brown, shriveled bract tips (dryness during shipping), lesions on leaves (wind damage), darkened or slimy stems (waterlogging), and discolored bracts (pesticide drift) are also common issues with this flower. When Heliconias die early, it is most often a function of poor water uptake. Pay special attention to the health of the stems, cutting as necessary and replacing flower food solution.
Product Usage
For optimal care of Heliconia, please reference the chart of products below. Make sure to select your region to see which products are available.