Characteristic features of heliconia, agrotechnical conditions for cultivation, advice on flower reproduction, care, pests and diseases, interesting facts, species. If we consider some representatives of the flora that can be looked after in our premises and garden plots, then many of them amaze with their shapes and outlines. Often the flowers of such plants can be compared to the well-known bats, butterflies or birds. The conversation will focus on the same "exotic inhabitant" of the planet as Heliconia.
This herbaceous plant belongs to a monotypic family called Heliconiaceae, ranked among the Zingiberales. However, heliconia buds are very often compared to the flowers of plants belonging to the banana family - Musaceae. There are up to 350 species in the genus. Basically, for their growth, they "chose" forests with high humidity, located in a tropical climate in Central and South America. And also one of the species (Indian Heliconia - Heliconia indica) is located on the islands of the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean (Oceania).
The plant got its name thanks to Karl Linnaeus, who was engaged in compiling a classification of the entire plant world known at that time. And the scientist decided to name the flower with unusual buds in honor of Mount Helikon, which is located in the southern regions of Greece. If you believe the legends, then this mountain was a haven for the god Apollo, who was distinguished by eternal youth and beauty, as well as his immortal girlfriends - Muses. They were the patroness of the arts and sciences in ancient Hellas, so you can find the name - "flower of immortal muses". And also, since the flowers are quite unusual in their appearance, they are confused with the plumage of exotic representatives of birds from the tropics, and the plant is called "parrot flower" or because of the shape of the "lobster claw". Because of the shape of the leaves, it was popularly nicknamed "wild banana".
So, heliconia has a long-term life cycle and has a developed rhizome. In height, the plant can approach 1–6 meters.
The arrangement of the leaf plates is in weak asymmetry in two rows. With their sheaths, they form false stem processes, which are measured in the range from 60 cm to 80-100 centimeters in height. The length of the leaves themselves varies from 20 to 80 cm with a width of up to 20 cm. Their surface is almost always glossy and dense. The shape of the leaves is very similar to banana leaves, as there is a characteristic vein pattern on the surface, and along the central vein there is a slight inward bend.
Heliconia is proud of its flowers. The buds of both sexes are most often located on one plant - female and male (bisexual), they are zygomorphic - when only one plane of symmetry is drawn through the flower, with the help of which the bud will be divided into two parts. In flowers, anthers ripen earlier than stigmas of pistils, that is, they are protandric, with bracts. Sepals are distinguished by the corolla-shaped outlines of their 3 units. The number of petals is the same, their color can be snow-white, yellowish, pink or red. There are 6 stamens in a bud, anthers with a lily-like appearance, one of the stamens cannot produce pollen, therefore it has become sterile - staminode. Flowers are collected in inflorescences, the length of which varies from 10-30 cm to almost 2.5 meters. The inflorescences can grow straight or hang down to the soil. In the parrot variety, a black spot is present on the flower in the upper part.
After flowering, the fruit ripens in the form of a leathery box containing thickened seeds. They have an elongated oval shape, and the shell that covers the seed is hard.
Growing heliconia, home care
- Lighting and location selection. The plant loves bright light, however, at noon, if it stands on the southern windowsill, it will have to arrange a light shade to avoid burns. It is better to put the pot on the sills of the east or west orientation of the windows. If there is enough lighting heliconia, then the flowering process can be year-round. In winter, especially if the thermometer shows a temperature above 18, then very good lighting is needed, additional lighting may even be required.
- Content temperature. In the summer months, the heat indicators should not exceed 25 degrees, and in the autumn-winter period it should be within 15-18 degrees. Ideal if the plant is kept in a winter garden or greenhouse.
- Air humidity should be high - this will make it possible for the plant to bloom and develop normally.
- Watering. From the beginning of the growing season until autumn, it will be necessary to water Heliconia abundantly, avoiding stagnant water in a pot holder. The water used is warm and soft.
- Fertilizers introduced from late spring to late summer every 14 days. In this case, special liquid preparations are used for flowering indoor plants.
- Transplanting and soil selection. Heliconia needs to be replanted annually in the spring. The pot is selected wide and larger in diameter by 5 cm from the previous one, so that the root system is free. At the bottom, drainage from expanded clay or pebbles is needed, and holes are also made to drain excess moisture. When the plant is large, you can take tubs for planting.
The substrate is selected nutritious and not heavy. Most often, it is prepared independently from leafy soil or peat, humus soil, sod and river sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1.
Self-breeding tips for a flower
You can get a new wild banana plant by splitting the rhizome during transplanting or sowing.
The seeds must first be soaked in very hot water (60–70 degrees) using a thermos. Seed material is sown into a soil mixture: leafy earth, humus, turf and sand (in proportions 1: 1: 2: 1/2). Germination takes place at a temperature of 25 degrees, the container is covered with foil. You will need to ventilate and spray the soil daily. Seedlings appear unevenly within 4 months.
When transplanting, the rhizome needs to be cut with a sharp knife and the cuttings should be planted in a substrate suitable for adult specimens.
Difficulties in cultivating heliconia
All the problems faced by a florist growing a "wild banana" are associated with a violation of the conditions for keeping the plant, among them it can be noted:
- if there is not enough moisture, then the leaves begin to curl and fly around;
- when the illumination is low, the shoots become too elongated and weak, and the color of the foliage turns pale;
- with a lack of trace elements, as well as with drying out of the earthen coma and with a lack of light in the autumn-winter period and high thermometer indicators (especially at night), the leaves of heliconia begin to turn yellow;
- also about insufficient moisture and a mismatch in the temperature of the content (especially in the winter months) is indicated by hanging and crumbling green leaf plates;
- if the surface of the leaves becomes covered with wrinkles, then this caused a sudden cold air, but if this happens with old leaves - a lack of nutrition with magnesium, potassium and phosphorus;
- when the tips of the leaf plates turn yellow, this indicates an excess of calcium in the substrate or drying it out;
- if all heliconia is completely yellow, then the reason is the drying out of the earth coma or its bay, and possibly the air humidity parameters have decreased, the soil, most likely too heavy for the plant, or the heliconia is preparing for dormancy.
Of the pests that can infect a flower, spider mites, scale insects, mealybugs or whiteflies are isolated. If harmful insects are found, insecticide treatment will be required.
Interesting facts about heliconia
In their homeland, in Colombia, there is a belief that if you turn into a leaf of heliconia in the lumbar region, then abdominal pain will disappear. With a decoction of young sprouts, purulent ulcers formed after the bites of poisonous snakes can be healed at high speed.
Wild Banana works well for people looking to take off in their careers. Namely, for its rapid growth and the ability to reach enormous sizes in a short time, this plant is so valued by energetic and persistent people. Such a quick result can even cover the problems and capriciousness of Heliconia when growing it. Also, energy experts claim that the plant forms energy fluctuations with arrow-shaped shapes vertically upward. However, this does not give any protection to its owners, but can only provoke and even harm. Such a "parrot flower" for adults becomes a good stimulant, but it is required to protect children and animals from its sensual emanations.
In some varieties, the number of flowers that combine into inflorescences can reach almost 1000 units. There are also varieties that keep their flowers on the plant for up to 4–5 months, but there are also year-round blooming species of Heliconia. The flowers of this exotic plant are somewhat very similar in "behavior" to the well-known water lily. This is because the buds of the plant originate from the bottom of the "reservoir" suspended in the air - since the bracts (bracts) are located with their keels to the soil, there is always liquid in the middle of them. Flowers "lobster claws" are so airtight (like "home" water lilies) that moisture does not seep into them. With the help of pedicels that increase in length, the flowers rise above the surface of this mini-pond and bloom there. But to be precise, only one large sepal is bent at the bud, and it becomes a kind of "airfield" for insects that have come to pollinate the flower.
Types of heliconia
- Heliconia bihai. The native habitat is the territory of Mexico and Brazil, where the plant likes to "settle" in shaded gorges and foothills. Reaches 3-4 meters in height. The stem is upright and is covered with a "case" of shrunken leaf plates. They are large in size, their length is 1, 2 meters with a width of up to 30–45 cm. The inflorescences are also large outlines - 60 cm in length and 30 cm in width. They usually collect multiple buds, which originate from the sheaths, painted in yellow-red tones. The size of the flowers is small. The cover leaves are also of a bright orange-red color with the top tinted with yellow. The length of these elements reaches 60 cm. The flowers have yellowish, green tones.
- Heliconia bihai-aurea. A plant with a perennial life cycle, which can reach 1, 8–2, 4 meters in height. The stem is erect, its entire surface is enveloped in sheaths of old leaf plates, like a blanket. The leaves themselves have long petioles and large sizes, very much like banana leaves. Their shape is broadly oval, there is a sharpening at the top, on their surface there is a pattern of densely spaced parallel lateral veins. A light green color scheme stains the leaves from the top, and from the back they are slightly lighter. The surface is dense. The inflorescence is straight and contains 4–5 bracts, which are arranged in two rows. The color of these elements is dark red, and the tops are cast in bright yellow or even golden color. They show the cheeks, keel and wide lip outlines from below.
- Heliconia bicolor (Heliconia bicolor), which is also called Heliconia angudtifolia. Likes to settle in humid areas located in the Brazilian foothills. Reaches in height up to meter indicators. The contours of the leaf plates are elongated lanceolate, with a pointed apex, at the base they are wedge-shaped. Their measurements are equal in length up to 40–55 cm, and in width up to 6, 5–10 cm. Covering leaves of a blood-red color scheme. The arrangement of flowers is in two rows, they are painted in a white shade.
- Heliconia metal (Heliconia metallica) can be found in shady Colombian gorges where humidity levels are high. In height, the plant often reaches two meters. The leaf plates have oblong-oval shapes, with parameters not exceeding 30 cm in length and up to 7-10 cm in width. Their color served as the name of the variety - the top of a metallic shade with a green tint, while the middle vein is quite well developed and it is whitish. the veins on the sides are also white and feathery. The underside of the leaf has a bright red tone. At the leaves, the petioles are reddish and long. The cover leaves in the inflorescence are of a beautiful rich green color, and the tone of the flowers is bright red.
- Heliconia caribea - grows in the Caribbean, reaching 2.5 meters in height, perennial. A "case" of old foliage envelops the upright stem. The leaf plates themselves have elongated outlines, with a sharpness, very similar to banana leaves. Their color is dark emerald, the surface is glossy. The color of the flowers is snow-white, they are enclosed in bright red covering leaves, their length is 2 m.
- Heliconia parrot (Heliconia psittacorum) - is considered the most popular in indoor floriculture. It is a perennial with a height not exceeding a meter. The stem is upright, completely covered with a blanket of dried old foliage. In leaf plates, the shape resembles banana leaves, the color on the underside is dark reddish, and on top they cast a bright green color. The shape is oblong with a sharp point. On the rhizome, the leaves have the shape of scales and they are arranged in a spiral manner, then the leaf rudiments on the above-ground stem, growing in a cone-like manner, begin to change their placement to two-row. The flowers are whitish, small, completely enclosed in bright orange cover leaves, which are up to half a meter in length.
- Heliconia curtispatha. The plant has a rhizome root system, is a perennial, the height of which does not exceed 4.5-6 meters. This variety is very light-requiring. Inflorescences droop to the soil and have 30 bracts. Their color ranges from light red to deep red tones that are placed along the lip. Sepals have a yellow-golden color, especially bright color is expressed at the tips. The flowering process lasts from April to August.
- Indian Heliconia (Heliconia indica) grows on the territory of Oceania and is the only representative of the genus that "lives" outside the American continent. Perennial plant, reaching a height of 3-7 meters. The stem is upright. The leaf plates have paddle-like contours and are large in size, painted in a pinkish tone. Bracts are greenish or yellowish-green. Sepals that grow on the sides have a changeable color that changes from pink to red-greenish. Bracts are light green in color, along the edge they are red with green spotting.
- Heliconia dull-flowered (Heliconia densiflora). Height 0.5–1.5 m. In the inflorescence, the bracts are arranged in 4–5 rows. Their color is red or red-orange, and the tops of the tips and bases have a yellow-golden tint. Sepals are shaded with orange color, located on the periphery.
More useful information about growing heliconia in this video:
