Heliconia psittacorum Pink Lipstick

Heliconia 'Pink Lipstick' (Heliconia psittacorum) is the small heliconia for a warm garden that needs colour at eye level rather than overhead. It forms a clump about 1.5m tall and 1.2m wide, with slender upright stems and narrow paddle leaves, and it throws pink bracts almost continuously through the warm months. Honeyeaters and sunbirds work the flowers, and it is quick to fill a bed.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers over a long season. Pink bracts appear in flushes through the warm months rather than in one short burst, and they cut well for a vase.
• Compact for a heliconia. At 1.5m it sits at the front or middle of a bed, where the larger species would tower over everything.
• It fills space fast. The clump suckers steadily, so a handful of plants becomes a solid tropical block within a couple of seasons.
• Happy in wet ground. It tolerates wet feet and high humidity, which makes it useful in low spots and beside pools where drainage is imperfect.

Where it works best

Mass planting. Plant 1m apart for a lush massed clump. Suckers close the gaps within two seasons, so there is no need to crowd them at planting.

Poolside. The foliage is soft, the plant drops very little litter for a tropical, and the pink bracts read well against water and paving.

Pots and feature planting. A container 500mm or wider holds a single clump nicely and keeps the suckering in check, which is the simplest way to grow it where space is tight.

Growing Heliconia 'Pink Lipstick' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, with shelter from strong wind that shreds the leaves. This is a tropical and subtropical plant only. It is frost tender, so in cooler gardens it needs to be a pot plant that shifts under cover for winter.

Soil. Rich soil with plenty of organic matter, and it does not mind ground that stays moist. Mulch heavily, since the roots sit shallow and dislike drying out.

Water and feed. Keep the water up through the warm months, especially in pots. Feed a balanced or palm style fertiliser in early spring and again in mid summer, because heavy flowering takes a lot out of it.

Pruning. Cut each stem out at the base once it has finished flowering, as it will not flower a second time. Tidy any cold damaged foliage in spring and it reshoots from the rhizome.

What to expect when it arrives

It comes in 180mm and 200mm pots sold in packs of six, and as single 300mm plants. The pack sizes are the practical buy for a bed or a poolside run, because you want several clumps to knit together. A 300mm plant is a larger established clump for a pot or a single feature.

Leaves can crease or tear in transit, which looks worse than it is; new growth replaces them quickly. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. Expect first flowers within a season in warm weather.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full heliconia range
• Compare plants for poolside gardens
• How to design a tropical garden that stays lush
• More tropical plants for warm gardens

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

1m apart for a massed planting. The clumps sucker outward and meet within two seasons, so tighter spacing only costs you plants.

Does it spread where I do not want it?

It spreads steadily by suckers rather than aggressively. A spade edge once a year, or a large pot, keeps the clump exactly where you put it.

Why has a flowering stem stopped producing?

Each stem flowers once and then declines. Cut it at ground level and the rhizome sends up replacements, which is how you keep a clump flowering continuously.