Thanks,

If I can't grow them from seed, getting them as potted plants is the alternative.

You ought to add where you live to this, as not all Home Depots across the country will have the same selection. You sound like you are probably in Florida, where these varieties could be expected to grow well. I have only occasionally seen Heliconias on offer at Home Depot here in the San Francisco Bay Area, and all except H. stricta don't even make good houseplants here, unless one is growing them with more heat and humidity inside a greenhouse. I can definitely say that almost any of the H. psittacorum cultivars need way more heat than we get here to thrive, and for me, they didn't even like being inside the kitchen in a full sun spot, they just slowly declined.

We do way better with the cool growing high elevation species here in California, and only H. scheideana is commonly available from some of the northern California growers. Local nurseries can order this one from Monterey Bay Nursery in Watsonville, a wholesale supplier to all of northern and southern California.

HD here in NJ never has them.

The HD's in the DC metro area have a terrible tropical plant selection. It kills me to see all the cool varieties that are stocked in the southern amd west coast stores. They forget about all of us here in zone denial that rely on our greenhouses over the winter. lol
Karyn

What a great find pete! I haven't seen heliconia here at H.D. but I got some gingers at HD the other day. The H.D. and Lowe's here had huge passiflora alata (Ruby Glow) vines about 20 ft long in big pots for 19.99 (Lowe's) and 18.99 (H.D.) not quite as long of vines there! I grabbed one (even though I already have one I grew from seed which hasn't flowered yet).
We used to get better stuff at the box stores in LA than we do here. I'm always hearing people found good stuff at FL H.D's. Someone even told me once they found pink princess philo there for 8.00 !
That's it, I'm moving to FL! LOL ~wonder if they need nurses?

sultry_jasmine_night yes they need nurses and I hear the pay is good, but the taxes and insurance isn't that good. You can always live in my tropical garden There is an outside shower, with hot water, a hot tub and fruit year round. For the rest I'm sorry other Home Depots around the country don't have tropicals like we do here in St Petersburg FL. Sometimes you can always ask your homeless depot in your area if they can get more tropicals. If there is enough folks interested they will try. Have you every checks at your walmart. They too have good deals from time to time. Now I must ask is any one on here interested in tropical hibiscus? http://www.users.bigpond.com/hibiskus/galleryboot.htm
http://www.internationalhibiscussociety.org/SEArchive/SEindex1.php this web site is of a plant I got to name

I just got 2 4ft Ficus for 1.75 ea plus 4 roses in 3gl pots for 2.00 ea. At Wal-Mart. Also a 4ft rubber tree for 1.50 I love plant sales

Afternoon Pete!
I absolutely adore tropical Hibiscus and plan on adding many to our yard.
Have you ever found any at HD or do you order them out of catalogs?

I've seen many gorgeous specimens here and there on the Island...makes me drool...LOLAM

Over on the FG forum, cindeea posted a pic of one of hers...it's lovely!

Here is a link that might be useful: Cindees'a Hibiscus Acetosella

There are no Heliconia in BKF big box stores.

Walmart completely cleared out its nursery to store boxed toys in prep for X-mas. And indoors, they only have Chrisanthemums.

Anna Maria Island girl I have gotten my hibiscus from nurseries and from Home depot here in St Pete. Lowe's has had them, but since I joined the society it makes them cheaper to buy at shows. There is one in your area. I also enjoy giving away cuttings from all my plants in the front yard. If you email me I can send you pictures of what I have in the yard and a way to join in your area the society for hibiscus

Every HD differs..for instance, I live in Il, and finding something rare at our HD's is almost impossible.
Every so often, something comes in..One year they even sold grafted citrus trees, (other than the bush Calamondin) but mustn't have sold many becuase that one year was the only time they had them.
I've NEVER seen a Heliconia or ginger there..You really have to search, and even then, they sell the same, basic plants..Thank God for the internet..lol..Toni

Pete...You've got mail... :)

I'm LOLAM...in the email I sent you...I meant 'Hibiscus'...not Heliconia...duh.

So this is where all my buddies disappeared to, lol. I was looking for info on a variagated rubber tree I got at Walmart on discount that is getting brown crispy spots on the edges of the leaves. I can't believe with all the tropicals I grow I have never been over here! I will look around some and post if I don't see it anywhere.

Island Pete, your garden sounds divine!

Hi F4F, I have a huge variegated rubber plant that I bought from a 2 inch H.D. plant a few yrs ago. Mine thinks it should be an outdoor plant here even in the hot dry summer, so its leaves are always getting browned edges. It goes into a really major pout when I bring it into the house though lol... Yours could need more humidity - many tropicals will get browning on the leaf edges due to lack of humidity especially with the dry heat from the heater going in the house. The other thing I can think of, it could be mites. But with mites you would probably see speckling on the top of the leaves from where the bugs are sucking the juices out. Sometimes they seem to work from the outside edges in though. They like well drained soil and I let mine dry out a little inbetween watering~try misting your leaves and see what happens, it will take a while before you see results, watch the new leaves and see if they brown as well.