Heliconia psittacorum x spathocircinata African Dawn

Heliconia 'African Dawn' (Heliconia psittacorum x spathocircinata) is the quickest way to put genuine tropical colour into a warm garden. Clumps reach about 1.8m tall and 1.5m wide, with upright orange and yellow bracts standing clear of the paddle shaped leaves through the warm months. It is fast, it multiplies steadily from the base, and honeyeaters find it within days of flowering.

Why you'll love it

• Colour that lasts. The orange and yellow bracts hold for weeks on the plant, and new stems keep coming through the warm season.
• Fast to fill a bed. A single plant becomes a clump in a season or two, which makes it an economical way to cover ground.
• Foliage that works between flushes. Broad variegated leaves carry the planting even when nothing is in flower.
• Heat and humidity suit it. The conditions that flatten many flowering plants in a subtropical summer are exactly what this one wants.

Where it works best

Mass planting. Plant 1m apart for a full tropical block. At that spacing the clumps merge into a continuous stand of foliage and flower within two seasons.

Poolside gardens. The upright habit and large leaves screen a fence line without dropping fine litter into the water, and reflected heat is no problem.

Feature planting and pots. A single clump against a rendered wall gives height and colour. In a pot of 500mm or wider it makes a strong balcony or courtyard plant.

Growing Heliconia African Dawn in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to light shade in tropical and subtropical gardens. It is frost tender, so anywhere with cold winters it should be grown in a pot and moved under cover, or treated as a warm season display. Cold damaged foliage usually shoots again from the rhizome once warmth returns.

Soil. Rich, moisture retentive soil that still drains. Dig plenty of compost through the bed before planting and mulch 75mm deep to keep the rhizomes cool.

Water and feed. This is a thirsty, hungry plant. Water two or three times a week through summer and never let it dry out completely. Feed a controlled release fertiliser in early spring and again in midsummer for the strongest flowering.

Pruning. Cut each stem to ground level once its bracts finish, since a spent stem never reflowers. Tidy the whole clump in late winter and divide congested clumps every three or four years.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in 175mm pots in packs of six, 200mm pots in packs of six, and single 300mm plants. The packs are the practical choice for a mass planting or a long bed, while a 300mm plant is a fuller clump for a pot or a single feature position.

Some leaf tearing after transit is normal for a plant with leaves this size and does not affect establishment. Expect flowering in the first or second warm season after planting. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, with a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Designing a tropical garden that stays lush year round
• Browse the full heliconia range
• Low maintenance tropical plants for poolside
• More tropical plants for warm gardens

Common questions

Will it grow in Sydney or Melbourne?

Only under protection. It is frost tender and suited to tropical and subtropical gardens, so in cooler states grow it in a pot that can be moved somewhere warm and sheltered over winter.

How far apart should I plant it?

One metre apart for a full clump. Closer planting crowds the rhizomes and produces taller, thinner stems that flop after rain.

When does it flower?

Through the warm months, with the heaviest display over summer. Flowering slows or stops in winter, and the foliage carries the planting until warmth returns.

What do I do with stems that have finished?

Cut them off at ground level. Each stem flowers once, and removing the spent ones directs the plant's energy into new shoots from the rhizome.