![]() With a name like ‘Tropics’, who could argue that this plant was not made for tropical gardens! A very vigorous but ‘well behaved’ heliconia which makes an excellent plant for landscaping. ‘Tropics’ also holds up to wind well, and is one of the heliconias more likely to grow down in coastal Sydney as it is quite cold tolerant. It doesn’t have the same ‘running’ characteristics of other psittacorum heliconias which I have frequently found sneaking under garden edging and popping up in lawns. A lot of the other psittacorums look really shabby in winter, whereas this one strides through winter while maintaining a compact, lush, tight clumping appearance, but still vigorous enough to fill a space in the garden quickly. This is one of the few psittacorum type heliconias I think is worth growing in smaller gardens in the subtropics. Perfect for: growing in large containers, landscaping, smaller cut flowers, wind resistance, cold resistance (down to 5 degrees celsius). psittacorum x spathocircinata The flowers (or should I say, bracts) remind me of a tropical sunset or ‘Frosty Fruits’ icypoles from my childhood But there are several varieties that grow wonderfully here is a selection of what I think are 5 of the best for subtropical and temperate growers. ![]() While the climate here might seem agreeable, Brisbane weather can still be quite savage for tropical plants – and some of the more tropical heliconias will not grow here with much success. ![]() I have been growing them for a couple of years now in Brisbane, and they have become by far my favourite ornamental plants. The humble heliconia is a staple in the tropical-style garden – and thankfully, there are many varieties that will grow well below the tropic of Capricorn, even down to coastal Sydney and Melbourne in protected microclimates.
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