1 hour ago, thyerr01 said:

@mnorell Well I think the situation about H. acuminata 'Super Cheri' might have become more complicated. I checked what H. thomasiana looks like and that's clearly not my plant as that species is musoid and mine is zingiberoid. However, it seems that H. acuminata is also musoid? At least the photos I saw online all appear to be. I wonder if my plant is actually a form of H. hirsuta? Mine, like I assume your new one, came from PGH. Is yours also zingiberoid?

I'm not sure I have the patience or space to keep any around that won't flower regularly. Really the only remaining ones I'd like to test are the other seedlings of 'Mexican Gold', although they are nearly impossible to find, and some of the different dwarf H. rostrata to see they can be pushed to flower within a year.

I didn't mean to imply that your plant might be H. thomasiana...that was just the mystery surrounding the plant I grew in Natchez years ago and was super cold hardy but never bloomed, and I thought was (but am now hopelessly confused on its real identity) H. acuminata 'Super Cheri.' I did have a 'Super Cheri' as well that I documented but I don't know what happened with it and if I got the two plants mixed up. The 'Super Cheri' I'm growing now came from Plant Group Hawai'i. It appears musoid and I'm sure is the real thing. Where did you source your plant? I'm wondering if you don't actually have 'Carmasita,' which has long blades from its H. psittacorum parents. It's not zingiberoid but you may want to revisit that, as leaf arrangement can be confusing and easy to misidentify with some types. Wait until the inflorescences open fully and then you can likely i.d. it positively. I would say it definitely is not H. hirsuta, which is smaller and has a very identifiably zingiberoid look with a small inflorescence.

In Houston I think you have a good chance of seeing results with your H. x rauliniana. It is, as you say, very strong and attains amazing size in a season. My clump has grown to about 15' this year (most of my stalks reset last winter for some reason, it wasn't very cold but something was unusual enough to cause that uncharacteristic dieback). A fellow in Central Florida had written that he saw it regularly resprout in April or May after a freeze/frost and he had flowers in October.

As far as Sherry Ballester's hybrids from 'Mexican Gold'...most can be found online if you look carefully. Colton Collins (Plant Group) has some of them and they are in and out of stock. I have 'Coral Surprise,' 'Puerto Rico Libre,' and 'Siberia Lemon.' 'Coral Surprise' is very strong but it's still in a container here, I haven't decided exactly where to put it so it lives a constrained life at present. I wouldn't bother with 'Siberia Lemon' where you are if you expect to see any blossoms. It is an impressive clump, very large and erect, sort of like a Strelitzia nicolai (it gets this from its H. caribaea parentage)...but for whatever reason after more than five years in the ground has not given any inflorescences. It tends to reset many of its stalks over winter as well, which is frustrating. A beautiful foliage plant, however and fast-growing once it warms up. I don't really care for 'Bleeding Heart,' 'Doña Aida' or 'German's Luck' so I'm not growing those. But you can find most of them either at Plant Group or from vendors in Puerto Rico on Etsy/eBay. You can also explore the many, many forms of H. latispatha, there is a wide array of colors, sizes, growth habits, etc. I really love 'Distans' even if it carries a reputation as a runner. I'm pretty sure none of us need to worry about that in less than tropical climes, though... 

I looked up H. thomasiana as I was not familiar with it and assumed it maybe looked similar - and was immediately struck by the fact that it wasn't even the same growth habit as what I have. I have three 'Super Cheri?' and all were started from rhizomes purchased from Plant Group Hawaii. I'll double check the leaf arrangement tomorrow, and I'll post an update once these flowers fully develop which should hopefully clear things up.

As for the Sherry Ballester hybrids, I have Coral Surprise (which flowers within a year) and Siberia Lemon in the ground, and some Bleeding Heart starting from rhizomes in pots. I also haven't got any flowers from Siberia Lemon, which has grown large this year and recovered from temps in the high teens. I kinda like the semi-pendant look of Dona Aida and German's Luck but haven't really seen them available, and I reached out to all the vendors in PR. I did find one vendor in Florida with German's Luck but they were out of my price range...

@Cindy Adair Do I remember correctly that a lot of your amazing Heliconia came from Sherry Ballester's plants and that you were a subsequent owner of her place? I thought that came up in another thread at some point. Do you know if German's Luck or Dona Aida are readily available down there? I think they are likely to some of the very few cold hardy pendant Heliconia for the US gulf south.

This thread has been a wealth of knowledge from people who obviously have extensive experience with heliconias. I have really enjoyed reading it!

Does anyone have any advice on the lowest nighttime temperature to maintain a greenhouse at to keep potted heliconias alive? I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts.

4 hours ago, STEMI said:

This thread has been a wealth of knowledge from people who obviously have extensive experience with heliconias. I have really enjoyed reading it!

Does anyone have any advice on the lowest nighttime temperature to maintain a greenhouse at to keep potted heliconias alive? I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts.

My own personal experience is primarily outdoors (both in-ground and in containers), though I used to grow them in my greenhouse when I lived in Mississippi, usually just for winter storage, so the info below is from my own somewhat limited experiences and from what I have observed and learned from others over the years. Others on this forum have much more experience with large collections in greenhouses and hopefully will comment more authoritatively on the subject, particularly on the limitations of space and also greenhouse pests. In general, however, most can grow very well with good year-round appearance with a minimum temp of 60F in winter, but I assume the reason you're asking in the first place is because keeping a greenhouse at that temp in winter in Charlotte could really gouge your bank account...

The species you intend to grow in your greenhouse will make a big difference, since different species come from the hot, sultry lowlands as well as cool, misty mountain elevations, and everything in between. It's not ideal to grow most species in containers, since they really want some root-run and more space. The roots of most are very sensitive to the mucky oxygen-poor area known as the "perched water table" common in containers, particularly when exposed to cold temperatures, a problem that is generally not present when grown in the open in appropriately porous media. Keep in mind also that you will have to contend with greenhouse critters like spider-mites (which love many Heliconia) since they can play to their hearts' content in the absence of their outdoor predators.

The best strategy IMHO if you want them in the greenhouse year-round is to engineer your greenhouse with open, raised bedding and then plant them (or plunge them if removing for summer) in the beds (and best with some heating cables). If not, you will probably want to plant in very porous, chunky aroid- or orchid-media in large, mesh-sided "net-pots," and stick to smaller species and cultivars of the more manageable ones like H. orthotricha, stricta, hirsuta, aurantiaca, zebrina and perhaps psittacorum (the latter being one of the most cold-sensitive). There are also some tougher hybrids with psittacorum (like 'Tropics' or 'Carmasita') that can take a cooler temps during winter nights. H. rostrata can also be successfully flowered in a large container in intermediate temps, but you may need a large/tall greenhouse as it does work its way up to a large size, especially in shadier situations. 

Generally the popular lowland tropical Heliconia (like H. caribaea and H. psittacorum) want winter nighttime temps in the 60s or 70s, with some with a more varied or upland distribution comfortable in the 50s or some 40s or even rare 30s (hirsuta, rostrata, some forms of stricta). Some cultivars or hybrids of H. orthotricha are okay with some cold at night but in my experience really prefer more warmth than their close relative, H. stricta. There are some dwarf forms of H. latispatha (most of them quite comfortable with winter nights in the 40s) that can be purchased, but some of these are runners and will want to take over your space or burst out of their container. H. subulata is an attractive smaller species (but will also expand to a large clump over time) that is incredibly adaptable and does well in Miami but can also take lots of cold (40s, some 30s) at night and maintain a good appearance. It grows wild at Machu Picchu!

@mnorell Thank you so much for the detailed response! You are correct in assuming I’m using the greenhouse to try to limp them through the winter in pots to then hopefully replant them into the ground in spring. I have rostrata, psittacorum, ‘Siberian Lemon’, ‘Hot Rio Nights’, and ‘Mexican Gold’ on pots. It’s a small 6x10 greenhouse that I put together specifically to try to overwinter heliconias in there this winter. Last winter I did the same in a large grow tent in my garage. My wife insisted that we be able to actually walk from once side of the garage to the other this winter. I thought it was a weird request but I had always wanted a greenhouse anyway. 

My wife and I are avid plant collectors. We get monthly deliveries of various predatory mites and lacewings to keep the pests managed in our indoor jungle. I plan to release them in the greenhouse when they arrive in a few days. 
 

I’ve been keeping it at a low of 58, but might bump it up a few degrees to be safe. 

On 12/1/2025 at 7:33 PM, mnorell said:

My own personal experience is primarily outdoors (both in-ground and in containers), though I used to grow them in my greenhouse when I lived in Mississippi, usually just for winter storage, so the info below is from my own somewhat limited experiences and from what I have observed and learned from others over the years. Others on this forum have much more experience with large collections in greenhouses and hopefully will comment more authoritatively on the subject, particularly on the limitations of space and also greenhouse pests. In general, however, most can grow very well with good year-round appearance with a minimum temp of 60F in winter, but I assume the reason you're asking in the first place is because keeping a greenhouse at that temp in winter in Charlotte could really gouge your bank account...

The species you intend to grow in your greenhouse will make a big difference, since different species come from the hot, sultry lowlands as well as cool, misty mountain elevations, and everything in between. It's not ideal to grow most species in containers, since they really want some root-run and more space. The roots of most are very sensitive to the mucky oxygen-poor area known as the "perched water table" common in containers, particularly when exposed to cold temperatures, a problem that is generally not present when grown in the open in appropriately porous media. Keep in mind also that you will have to contend with greenhouse critters like spider-mites (which love many Heliconia) since they can play to their hearts' content in the absence of their outdoor predators.

The best strategy IMHO if you want them in the greenhouse year-round is to engineer your greenhouse with open, raised bedding and then plant them (or plunge them if removing for summer) in the beds (and best with some heating cables). If not, you will probably want to plant in very porous, chunky aroid- or orchid-media in large, mesh-sided "net-pots," and stick to smaller species and cultivars of the more manageable ones like H. orthotricha, stricta, hirsuta, aurantiaca, zebrina and perhaps psittacorum (the latter being one of the most cold-sensitive). There are also some tougher hybrids with psittacorum (like 'Tropics' or 'Carmasita') that can take a cooler temps during winter nights. H. rostrata can also be successfully flowered in a large container in intermediate temps, but you may need a large/tall greenhouse as it does work its way up to a large size, especially in shadier situations. 

Generally the popular lowland tropical Heliconia (like H. caribaea and H. psittacorum) want winter nighttime temps in the 60s or 70s, with some with a more varied or upland distribution comfortable in the 50s or some 40s or even rare 30s (hirsuta, rostrata, some forms of stricta). Some cultivars or hybrids of H. orthotricha are okay with some cold at night but in my experience really prefer more warmth than their close relative, H. stricta. There are some dwarf forms of H. latispatha (most of them quite comfortable with winter nights in the 40s) that can be purchased, but some of these are runners and will want to take over your space or burst out of their container. H. subulata is an attractive smaller species (but will also expand to a large clump over time) that is incredibly adaptable and does well in Miami but can also take lots of cold (40s, some 30s) at night and maintain a good appearance. It grows wild at Machu Picchu!

Awesome analysis. How about schiedeana?

What’s everybody in the US doing to protect their heliconias this week?

This week? Back to back nights of -5C last week ended things here.

All of the large Heliconias just got a layer of pine nuggets, but the stems are done. Two of the smaller ones in raised beds got covered, one with xmas lights. I haven't uncovered them all week as we are getting -3C again tomorrow. I will unwrap them right after that though.

 

42 minutes ago, thyerr01 said:

This week? Back to back nights of -5C last week ended things here.

All of the large Heliconias just got a layer of pine nuggets, but the stems are done. Two of the smaller ones in raised beds got covered, one with xmas lights. I haven't uncovered them all week as we are getting -3C again tomorrow. I will unwrap them right after that though.

 

Yes, fair enough. It got very cold here last week as well, but I was in the Philippines so everything in the ground is definitely toast and not coming back.
 

For my little greenhouse, I made a terracotta heater with some vegetable shortening, candle wicks, and terracotta pots to at least keep it from freezing if the power goes out and my little electric heater stops running.

On 1/30/2026 at 7:12 AM, STEMI said:

What’s everybody in the US doing to protect their heliconias this week?

I did nothing.  The above ground growth is mostly dead.  I'll trim them back in a couple of weeks or so, when I think the likelihood of frost is minimal.  They'll be back in no time.

My schiedeanas saw 28F for several hours (more than 5-6) unprotected a month ago. Most leaves burnt but there are still sections of the aerial parts that remain green; it hasn't died back to the roots. I believe that if they were under canopy they would've escaped intact.

I'm happy to report that I've got a very precocious and showy Heliconia blooming like crazy out here in Palm Springs. It's a Heliconia stricta cultivar called 'Sunrise' and it's available from Plant Group Hawai'i. This is apparently a seasonal bloomer as my two clumps, which are growing in slightly different sun/shade profiles and different areas of the yard, started throwing their inflorescences synchronously, within a week of each other this spring. I planted one around mid-2023 and the other in April, 2024. I think it's safe to assume this is a second-season bloomer due to its strong desire to flower in spring. The inflorescences are really quite large and showy, and I'm a little surprised to be seeing so many appearing in two separate clumps (three on one, two on another). Each bract measures about 4" long and the overall inflorescence height is about 7".

One thing to note is that this, like a number of strictas, seems completely happy in quite a bit of shade, so it's a good sub-canopy subject to try, at least in hot interior areas. Cold-tolerance hasn't been tested in extreme conditions, but mine have survived low 30sF up to 124F so it seems quite strong to varying environmental conditions. We have 30-to-50-degree diurnal swings out here with most December/January mornings 40-45F with maybe a dozen or so in the 30s F, and highs pretty predictably somewhere 65-75 (average high 70F). The plant keeps quite a good appearance over winter with minimal damage here, and the overall height of 6-8' with rather long leaves makes it a really nice landscape element. Spring starts here the second half of February and warmth accelerates very quickly.

I have no idea how this would do in the much cooler coastal plain or right at the coast in SoCal, but I think it's certainly worth attempting by any "Heliconia nut," particularly if you have a nice, protected area with dappled sun/shade. It would likely need more sun right in the fogbelt within a mile or two of the coast, and I would think you would need to carefully carve out a wind-protected area under canopy that gets some winter sun-warming.

This one is very easy to root in a tub of warm water. Just put the rhizome in and let it sit in full sun so it will warm up (use an aquarium heater if necessary to keep it around 80-85F while sprouting). But water should be changed every day or two to prevent fouling and also for oxygenation, which is very important. Once it has a mass of roots you can put it straight into the ground (that's better than in a pot, where it may rot). Closer to the coast where there is winter rain, I'd strongly suggest planting on a raised mound composed of really chunky high-drainage materials (like a good homemade Philodendron potting mix). While these clumps were not planted on mounds, I have more recently found that treatment to really accelerate growth for many Heliconia. Out here in the desert I mix coco-coir chunks (not fines) as a spongy moisture-reservoir, combined with lava rock, pumice and coarse sand. I'd also recommend avoiding the north side of a building or other winter-shade area where it may "wet-chill" to death.

H. stricta 'Sunrise':

I also (finally) have a couple of H. rostrata throwing blooms, one H. rostrata 'Misahualli' and another that is probably either a '5-day'/'Peru' or '10-day.' Inflorescences are still pushing but I'm very happy to finally see this stunner blooming out here in the desert. This one will bloom in appreciable shade but requires propping up under these circumstances because the pseudostems will stretch to find light and fall over under their own weight. In sunnier conditions they will stay stronger and more compact.

H. rostrata 'Misahualli.' This one is under the canopy of a rather large Cassia javanica and an adjacent Thevetia peruviana, so it doesn't get very much sun at all...just dappled for the most part, but seems quite happy in its spot.

H. rostrata (probably '5-day' or '10-day'), just starting to push. This one is in a pot that has rooted into the ground, and in too much shade, which is why its long, thin pseudostems are lying almost horizontally, being propped up by some nearby plants.

Looks good