Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Parrot plant
|
Heliconia, with its resemblance to a parrot's beak, makes for an interesting garden plant
|
THESE ARE the evergreen perennials belonging to the family Musaceae and found in habitats ranging from tropical forests to open scrub in Brazil and Peru. They have short rhizomes and long stalked, paddle shaped, mid to dark green leaves, which are two-metre long, similar to those of closely related banana (Musa) and strelizia (bud of paradise).
Heliconia aurantiaca has oblong, narrowly elliptic dark green leaf blades of 17-40 cms long. Produce erect dense inflorescence 20 cms long with three to five broad clustered dark yellow bracts arranged in two ranks. Flowers have pale yellow to orange sepals, often with paler tips becoming dark green with age. The bracts enclose the true flowers, which have three long petals and three showy sepals .
Heliconia pittacorum (parrot's flower or parrot's plantain) has elliptic, oblong to linear leathery rich dark green leaves 10-40 cms long on red leaf stalks. Bears erect inflorescence with orange-red sepals in two ranks. Flowers have orange-red sepals with dark green tips, resembling a parrot's beak, so the name parrot's flower.
Heliconia are grown in well drained garden soil mixed with peat, leaf mould and coarse sand or girt in bright filtered to indirect light. Water freely and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly. Shelter the plant from strong winds, which will damage foliage. Propagation is by division.
Heliconia are used as specimen plants for borders or containers. All last well as cut flowers.
CHITRA RADHAKRISHNAN
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
|
