Heliconia zebrina 'Inca'

[Cindy Adair]

As I have the admittedly similar Calathea and the Heliconia zebrina "Inca" I just snapped some photos to compare the leaves.

When they bloom it will be easy to see the difference in flowers!

They would look much better if we had a much needed rain to wash off the Saharan dust and perk them up!

I think this one is Calathea zebrina. I have several and they all look similar and grow easily in shade to partial shade with shorter petioles and shorter overall height.

No drip tip on my Calatheas. Some round, some small tip. The dark green variation doesn't quite touch the edge of each leaf.

Here is what I bought at the TPIE trade show last January as Heliconia zebrina 'Inca'. The leaf pattern is different and the tips are much thinner when shown with my hand than on the Calatheas. This one struggled in nearly full sun and is much happier since I moved it to partial shade.

Here is a struggling hurricane survivor Heliconia zebrina "Indica" from Plant It Hawaii. Probably insufficient water since on such a steep slope. 

Does this help telling the difference? Of course I am going by the grower labels on my purchased plants so defer to those with real knowledge.

 

 

[tropicbreeze]

I can relate to your "Saharan dust" comment. Dry season the sprinklers only seem to make the dust stick. It needs good wet season rain to wash it off.

Your Heliconia zebrina have the acute leaves as well. So there must be variability in the species. Pity they don't flower more easily/frequently, be so much easier. Calathea zebrina seems to be very consistent with its form and stripe patterns. This is mine, world apart but pretty much identical.

I'd like to get Heliconia zebrina, but I'd like it to be H. zebrina that I get.

[Marie Nock]

There is also a Heliconia zebrina 'Plowmanii'.  The difference between it and 'Inca' is that the leaves have purple undersides instead of the green of 'Inca'.

[Missi]

On 12/1/2018, 6:52:26, Marie Nock said:

There is also a Heliconia zebrina 'Plowmanii'.  The difference between it and 'Inca' is that the leaves have purple undersides instead of the green of 'Inca'.

OOO! I LIKE the sound of THAT!! 

[Hilo Jason]

I was at my local garden store today and found one of these Heliconia Zebrina so im giving it a shot in my garden. Planted in shade. 

[The Silent Seed]

BEAUTY!!!!! Love it! 

[Missi]

I'm still searching for some zebrina specimens...

[Tracy]

On 8/3/2019 at 7:43 PM, Hilo Jason said:

I was at my local garden store today and found one of these Heliconia Zebrina so im giving it a shot in my garden. Planted in shade. 

I suspect this would not have done very well in your Fallbrook garden or my Leucadia garden for that matter.  Nice understory plants which are probably just potted greenhouse plants here.

[Hilo Jason]

On 8/10/2019 at 3:25 AM, Tracy said:

I suspect this would not have done very well in your Fallbrook garden or my Leucadia garden for that matter.  Nice understory plants which are probably just potted greenhouse plants here.

Definitely would not have been happy in Fallbrook. Too hot and dry. Not sure about Leucadia. 

[Brad52]

Bought one at Garden Exchange in Hilo recently, they had more then.  Mine might be in too much sun after reading this, the info I read while staring at it in the store indicated that it could take direct sun.  I currently have a potted bamboo giving it a bit of shade but not much.