James Burghardt

Family

Heliconiaceae

Botanical Name

HELICONIA psittacorum 'Choconiana'

Plant Common Name

Choconiana Heliconia, Heliconia, Parakeet Flower

General Description

Parakeet flower is a clump-forming tropical plant that produces an abundance of flowers and lush, green leaves. It is native to the moist areas of the Lesser Antilles to northern South America. Long, banana-like leaves grow from spreading rhizomes (underground stems), they are dark green and easily tattered by strong winds. The flowers grow from the leaf joints on long peduncles or flower stalks and are held above the leaves. The cultivar ‘Choconiana’ has flowers that are mostly orange. The outer portions of the flowers are bracts or modified leaves and are orange. The inner portion, the true flower is tubular or fused, attractive to hummingbirds and yellow to green with a dark spot at the end giving the flower the look of a parrot’s tongue. The orange fruit is a drupe or stone fruit.

Parakeet flowers grows in full sun to partial shade and rich, moist soils. They do not tolerate standing water and are slightly drought tolerant if well mulched and established. Heliconias are heavy feeders, fertilize them regularly. Parakeet flowers is a strong runner and fills a bed quickly, it can also grow out-of-bounds. They are very sensitive to cold and do not tolerate even a degree of frost. Grow in containers where not hardy. Parakeet flowers are great for long lasting cut flowers and are a must-have for tropical gardens in beds, containers and around pools and decks.