H. schiedeana
H. dielsiana
H. spissa
H. bourgeana
H. champneiana
H. latispatha Hybrids
H. mathiasiae
H. schumaniana
H. subulata
H. fernandezii
H. monteverdensis
H. wilisiana
H. stricta 'Dwarf Jamaica'

I also found an other species available in Europe and that is supposed to be also hard, H. velloziana. Does somebody has experience with it?

Thank you in advance

The temperature in my areas are lower then in Benidorm, probably some few degrees which make a big difference in winter. The temperatures only goes a couple of night in winter, below 32 º F but some years they can reach during few hours 25º F. I planted some Bird of Paradise Plant (Strelitzia reginae) in the ground three years ago and survived the winters without protection but I need to protect my White bird of paradise (Strelitzia augusta) or their leaves are severed burned by the cold. Maybe this can give you an idea of my area.
Do you think the most hard heliconia like schiedeana, latispatha or any other could survive with a few protection in my area?. I would like to know your experience and your advice, as it is really difficult for me to select four or five more species from the list

Tank you

Moving the plants into protection may not be all that difficult, I have most of my plants in 15 gallon sized containers, and they generally only get to be about 10 feet tall(with pot) in my situation. Simply moving them under cover of a roof may be enough to protect them in light frosts.

I would like to know if your plants survived this artic cold Winter? Did you protect them or did you bring them inside?

I would love to grow some Heliconias here but if they are really difficult to maintain over Winter and to flower, they may not be worth the trouble.

Cheers, Maria

This was really a very bad winter for subtropical plants, a long cold period and very low temperatures.
I reach -7ºC (19,5ºF)¡¡a couple of nights and minimum temperatures were below 0ºC for nearly a month.
I brought all my heliconias inside as i did for many of my tropical plants except the ones planted in the ground that i had to protected with straw. All of them were damaged in some degree and some even died. As to my Heliconias they are in pot and I kept them in a heated area, but I lost one probably due to overwatering together with low temperatures. I plan to bring some new Heliconia species and try with them again, but now I am absolutely sure that I will never be able to keep them permanently outside. If the leaves are damaged they will not bloom and of course the main reason for keeping heliconias is to have them in bloom.
As far I know Fernando also had some problems with his heliconias because the low temperatures.
If you plan to keep heliconias i would suggest you to keep them in pots (you can bury it) so you are able to bring them inside if to cold temperatures are coming.

Saludos, Barna

Many thanks for the Winter damage update and I am sorry to hear that some of your plants have died. Luckily, my temps reached only -2º but a couple of klms from me, temps dropped to -6ºC.

So if I have to bring them indoors for the Winter, I may as well opt for the easy to grow/best looking Heliconia of your list above. What do you suggest? Is it only H. vellozian that is available in Spain/Europe. Have you ever tried from seed?

Saludos, Maria

I do not have experience with all the species I mentioned in my previous list that is the reason I asked to this forum
From the information I have got here and from other sources, I would recommend you a small or middle sized species you can handle. Heliconias tend to grow very fast and you can be in troubles if you will bring them inside during winter.
As to the hardiness, I found different information regarding the same species, but I could say that probably every body agree with H. schiedeana being the hardiest.
I only found an Heliconia source in Spain but you can found several others in the EU that can send plants to you.
I have not experience growing Heliconias from seed, but as far I know they are not easy to sprout and some need several months (or years). I know Fernando has at least one H. latispatha from seed.
They are not expensive, if you can wait for so long just try it (I am to anxious):-)

Saludos,

Many thanks for the link. I assume that you already have purchased from them and been happy with their service and delivery. I will do some more research. As Gaza says that they need to be nearly 2m for blooming and that it is certainly a big plant for moving inside and outside. An alternative would be a sheltered spot in a covered terrace.
Anyway, thanks again for information and best of luck with growing and flowering of your Heliconias this Summer.

Un saludo, Maria

In the protected area where I have the heliconias the temperature dropped to -1ºC/30ºF, with almost no water and with windy protection and the result is the next:
H. "Pedro Ortiz": no damage and it is continuing growing now.
H. rostrata: light damage it is continuing growing now.
H. stricta Dwarf Jamaica: died, at least the aerial part.
H. latispatha cv. Distans from rhizome: died, at least the aerial part
H. latispatha cv. Red-Yellow Gyro: died, at least the aerial part
H. latispatha Distans from seed: no damage and it is continuing growing now.

I hate especially the situation with H. latispatha cv. Distans and Red-Yellow Gyro (from rhizome) because I have tried them two times and always they have died when the temperature were not too low. This year they died before the cold waves arrived when the minimal temperatures were 4ºC/39ºC. Their leaves began to curves and the aerial plant die very fast (the substrate was almost dry)). They have new growth in spring from the rhizome but it need two year to flower.
In any case I will try again.

Hasta luego,
Fernando

I had the L. Distans bloom on new growth last year which surprised me. I am growing it in a 20 gal container. I had a bad spider mite infestation and had to cut all of the stalks down to the soil level. It started blooming in August and bloomed until October. I think the fact this is a smallish heliconia and the large size of the root ball helped get this one to bloom on new growth. Maybe I was just lucky. No se.

Steve

I think that we were lucky that we had very little rainfall before the artic cold hit us so we had not too much damage.

I think that I will try with rhizomes first from the Spanish supplier that Barna has given me.

Gracias, Maria