Dwarf Jamaican Heliconia (Heliconia stricta)
May 9, 2008 — Vasant M. SalianDwarf Jamaican Heliconia (Heliconia stricta) is a “running” species of Heliconia, commonly found in the Caribbean islands, Central America and South America. This Heliconia grows in clumps to 6 ft with a spread of 5 ft. It has 6 ft long banana-like leaves. Each inflorescence has red or orange bracts edged with green. Dwarf Jamaican grows well in pots and is known to tolerate variable temperatures more than other Heliconias.
It blooms all year and can be planted in full sun to semi-shade. It can be propagated by clump division or rhizome.
Taxonomy:
Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Liliopsida
Order : Zingiberales
Family : Heliconiaceae
Genus : Heliconia
Species : Heliconia stricta
Pronunciation/Meaning:
- Heliconia (hel-ih-KOH-nee-uh) - Named for Helicon, the mountain of the muses in Greek mythology.
- stricta (STRIK-tuh) - Erect, upright.
Common Names:
- Dwarf Jamaican Heliconia, Firebird
Links:
Image Courtesy of Michael Palmer.
