Bihai,

Its nice to see a really healthy heliconia this time of year. I bet you are really appreciating that greenhouse now. My heliconias have that winter outdoors look at the moment. Other than the sharonii, I have not had a bloom since Charley. All my heliconias were laid flat after that. They are all coming back well, but still no stalks mature enough to flower. The sharonii however is short enough to not have wind damage and has bravely bloomed all winter. Thanks for sharing.

Bill

Beautiful, Bihai, and the foliage and flower are just so perfect. I'm sure it makes all your greenhouse toils worthwhile!

Anna

Hate to tell you this, Bihai, but there is no Heliconia purpurea. There is H. caribaea v. purpurea, which yours doesn't QUITE look like-- did you spray leaf-shine, or wipe off the powdery white coating on the stems and underside of the leaves? I can see a little bit of it still, right by the flower. That's real characteristic of H. caribaea v. purpurea, silvery stems and deep red flower. Yours seems to have kind of a 2-tone thing going on, which makes me think it could be a hybrid. There's a lot of natural hybrids of H. caribaea and H. bihai (!!!), maybe this is one of them.

-Lisa

My aren't you a pretentious little busy bee Lisa?
Yes, I am quite aware that the full name of my plant is Heliconia caribaea cv "Purpurea" but don't feel the need to write that out fully when most people who actually grow heliconia know what I am speaking of when I just say Heliconia purpurea, which is how most people refer to this plant.

No, I don't spray my plants with leaf shine, no I don't wipe things off my plants, and yes I am certain this is Heliconia purpurea, whether you think it looks like it or not.

The flower on H purpurea often emerges lighter than it ends up, at times it even emerges green and turns a deep red later, or didn't you know that? Let me guess, you didn't know that.

And yes, I do have several caribaea x bihai hybrids in my collection, I am aware that they exist. I have about 40 cultivars of heliconia growing and blooming in my greenhouse. Only 3 are unidentified, and they came from Hawaii, like you.

Jeez, take a chill pill, Bihai. I was only trying to offer up what I've learned as a commercial Heliconia grower for the last 25 years or so, but I guess your greenhouse plant is more true to form than all the thousands I've seen in cultivation here. I stand corrected.

Hmmmm, could it be the condescending know-it-all way you offer up your 25 years of experience? Nahhh....
Thanks for your take on my plant from your lofty position.

Beautiful! Only heliconia I have blooming now is a pretty noid.

Uh-huh. And as for "those of us who actually grow heliconia"..."or didn't you know that?" etc.: nothing remotely condescending there, is there?

I'm sorry if I dissed your plant, that was never my intention. You've obviously invested a lot of time and energy getting it to grow and bloom inside a greenhouse. I just figured, that being the case, you might actually appreciate a heads-up if there was a possibility you might have been sold a plant that was not correctly labeled. Silly me, I guess that never happens.

Lady,
how is the Chocolate Dancer doing? Mine is shooting out a bloom!