Hot Rio Nights Heliconia

Hot Rio Nights Heliconia (Heliconia bihai x caribaea 'Hot Rio Nights') carries the height and the colour of a tropical garden in one plant. Clumps lift to about 3m tall and 2m across, pushing up upright bracts in deep red edged with gold from spring through to autumn. It widens by a few canes each season, so it screens like a hedge without looking like one. Being frost tender, it belongs in tropical and subtropical gardens.

Why you'll love it

• Bracts that hold for weeks. The red and gold bracts are the display, not the small flowers inside them, and they last far longer than a bloom.
• Three metres of green with no trunk. Broad paddle shaped leaves stack up the canes, covering a fence line or a pool pump at eye level and above.
• Quick to fill a bed. New canes come from the base each warm season, and a young planting reads as established by its second summer.
• Comfortable in damp ground. It accepts soil that stays wet, including irrigated beds and low corners.
• Birds work the flowers. Honeyeaters go straight for the nectar sitting in the bracts.

Where it works best

Massed planting and informal screening. Plant 1.5m apart. Heliconias spread by rhizome, so tighter spacing only sets the clumps competing instead of closing the gap.

Poolside. Large leaves mean large litter rather than the fine debris that clogs a skimmer box, and the clump takes heat reflected off paving and water.

Feature planting. A single clump against a rendered wall or beside a deck earns its space, especially where you want the colour at 1.5m and above.

Growing Hot Rio Nights Heliconia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering, and part shade suits hot west facing spots where the foliage would scorch. This is a tropical and subtropical plant. Gardeners from Darwin to northern New South Wales can plant it straight into the ground. Around Sydney and Perth it needs a frost free microclimate, and in colder southern cities treat it as a container plant that winters under cover.

Soil. Rich and moisture retentive. Work compost through the bed before planting and mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the canes.

Water and feed. Steady moisture separates a full clump from a thin one. Deep water twice a week through summer, more in a pot, and feed with a complete fertiliser in early spring and again in midsummer.

Pruning. Each cane flowers once and then declines. Cut spent canes off at ground level to keep light into the centre of the clump. Lift and divide every three or four years if the middle thins.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in four sizes. The 200mm pack of six is the value choice for a bed or a run of screening: young plants, but quick away in warm weather. The 300mm is the usual single plant size, and the 400mm and 500mm arrive as multi cane clumps carrying real presence on day one.

Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Expect the plant to sit quietly for a few weeks, then push new canes once soil temperatures climb. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full heliconia range
• Compare tropical garden plants
• Choosing plants for a poolside garden
• Getting a new plant through its first month

Common questions

Will it survive frost?

No. Even a light frost burns the foliage back. South of the subtropics, grow it in a large pot that can be moved under cover for winter.

How far apart should I plant it?

1.5m apart for a massed planting or a soft screen. Any closer and the rhizomes compete without closing the gap any faster.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes, in a container at least 500mm across using good potting mix. Pots dry faster than beds, so water more often and keep feeding through the growing season.