Heliconia schiedeana fruit/ seeds questions

[Patrick]

I have a nice clump of Heliconia schiedeana and I finally got a good flowering year out of it! The Sul-Po-Mag that I was advised to throw out really did me well. 10 or 12 blooms or so. While wandering around the yard yesterday I noticed that some of the fruit on these flowers are turning blue. I'm assuming viable seed? I just noticed one on a flower; but there are many others that look of viable size and are still green. I figure they will ripen shortly.

I'd like to try to grow new from the seed or at least collect and give out what I can; or start new plants and spread them around.

Has anyone harvested and germinated heliconia seeds before and would be willing to share some tips for success? Thanks in advance. 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

8 minutes ago, Patrick said:

I have a nice clump of Heliconia schiedeana and I finally got a good flowering year out of it! The Sul-Po-Mag that I was advised to throw out really did me well. 10 or 12 blooms or so. While wandering around the yard yesterday I noticed that some of the fruit on these flowers are turning blue. I'm assuming viable seed? I just noticed one on a flower; but there are many others that look of viable size and are still green. I figure they will ripen shortly.

I'd like to try to grow new from the seed or at least collect and give out what I can; or start new plants and spread them around.

Has anyone harvested and germinated heliconia seeds before and would be willing to share some tips for success? Thanks in advance. 

 

Haven't done it myself but, from what i've been told seed can be a tad challenging, ..but it can be done if the following steps are followed:

** seed is scarified ..but not too much that it damages the Embryo

** Soaked in room temp - slightly warm water over night  or for a couple days ( changing out the water daily )  to help soften the seed coat.

** Can use quality Sphagnum moss ..or even stringy Coir ( better, since Coconut Husk contains compounds that retards the development of pathogenic fungi / bacteria ) as a germination " soil- less " medium

** Place somewhere where they stay warm. Cold? = seeds won't germinate / may rot  ..or take their time to pop,  ...if they don't rot..

** Seed can take a month / couple months, ..or up to a year.

[Patrick]

2 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Haven't done it myself but, from what i've been told seed can be a tad challenging, ..but it can be done if the following steps are followed:

** seed is scarified ..but not too much that it damages the Embryo

** Soaked in room temp - slightly warm water over night  or for a couple days ( changing out the water daily )  to help soften the seed coat.

** Can use quality Sphagnum moss ..or even stringy Coir ( better, since Coconut Husk contains compounds that retards the development of pathogenic fungi / bacteria ) as a germination " soil- less " medium

** Place somewhere where they stay warm. Cold? = seeds won't germinate / may rot  ..or take their time to pop,  ...if they don't rot..

** Seed can take a month / couple months, ..or up to a year.

Thanks Silas. I have a 90 degree heat mat already running and some coir etc. floating around...

[Brian]

I germinated all my heliconias from seeds I used to purchase from a lady in Puerto Rico (around 15 different species). It wasn't too difficult and I found them easier to germinate than Strelitzia, which I had to soak in sulfuric acid to get to germinate. If I remember right I used to germinate the heliconias in wet paper towels. 

Follow @Silas_Sancona advice and if the seeds are viable you should have good results.

 

[Cindy Adair]

Small world.
 

The lady in PR who used to sell heliconia seed was my neighbor before she moved out of PR. Heliconia Lady on eBay 
 

Anyway I watched her work with a kitchen and porch full of heliconia seeds and her large collection of plants. 
 

She taught me to yes, wait to harvest the fully blue fruits and then soak them in water until the pulp is easily removed. Then she planted them or sold them immediately. 
 

Some species are rather stingy making division the only real option and others too prolific with lots of volunteer seedlings. 
 

There is an active Heliconia Society International with a website and travel March 2025 if you are interested.