Heliconia psittacorum 'Petranova'

Heliconia 'Petranova' (Heliconia psittacorum 'Petranova') gives you tropical colour at a size a normal garden can carry. It is a clumping perennial to about 1.5m tall and 1m across, not one of the four metre heliconias that swallow a bed. Slim red and orange bracts stand on upright stems above narrow green foliage right through the warm months, and honeyeaters work them daily.

Why you'll love it

• Colour for months, not weeks. Bracts keep coming across the whole warm season rather than arriving in one short burst.
• Compact for a heliconia. At 1.5m by 1m it suits a courtyard bed or a large pot without crowding everything near it.
• It spreads to fill. Clumps widen steadily by rhizome, so a mass planting knits together instead of leaving bare soil between plants.
• Comfortable with wet feet. Heavy summer rain and damp ground that would rot most flowering perennials do not trouble it.

Where it works best

Mass planting. Plant 1m apart. At that spacing the clumps meet within two warm seasons and read as one continuous tropical block rather than a row of separate plants.

Poolside and pots. The foliage stays clean and it handles reflected heat and humidity well. A pot 400mm or wider holds a single clump for several years.

Feature planting. Set a clump against a rendered wall or a dark fence and the bracts show far better than they do in an open bed.

Growing Heliconia 'Petranova' in Australia

Position and climate. This is a tropical and subtropical plant. Full sun to part shade both work, with the heaviest bract count in sun. It is frost tender, so cool temperate, inland and hard frosting gardens need it in a pot that can move under cover, or a different plant altogether.

Soil. Rich, moisture holding soil with plenty of compost worked through the bed. It copes with wet ground better than most perennials, though stagnant water still causes rot.

Water and feed. Keep the soil consistently damp through spring and summer, easing back over winter. A complete fertiliser in early spring and again mid summer keeps new canes coming.

Pruning. Cut spent canes to ground level once the bracts brown off. Lift and divide crowded clumps every three or four years in early summer.

What to expect when it arrives

Two sizes are grown: a single established plant in a 300mm pot, or a pack of six 200mm plants for filling a bed. The 200mm plants are younger and work out cheaper per plant, and they catch up quickly in warm weather. Expect one to three canes per plant on arrival, not a finished clump.

Foliage often looks tired after transit and a few older leaves may yellow. New canes replace them within a month or two once the roots move. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full heliconia range
• How to design a tropical garden that looks lush year round
• Plants for poolside gardens
• Compare tropical plants for warm climates

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

One metre apart for a mass planting. Closer than that and the clumps compete for light and water without closing the gap any sooner.

Will it survive frost?

No. It is frost tender and a cold snap will burn the foliage back hard. Gardeners south of the subtropics are better off growing it in a pot that can be moved under cover for winter.

How quickly does it flower?

A 300mm plant usually produces bracts in its first full warm season. The smaller 200mm plants often spend that first summer building canes and flower properly the year after.