Rauliniana Heliconia

Rauliniana Heliconia (Heliconia rauliniana) builds a wall of glossy, banana like foliage to about 3.5m, then hangs its flowers where you cannot miss them: long, pendent chains of yellow and green bracts swinging beneath the leaves through the warm months. For a frost free garden that wants instant tropics, few plants get there faster.

Why you'll love it

• A fast tropical screen. Dense upright canes reach about 3.5m tall in a clump around 2m wide, hiding a fence or a neighbour's wall within a couple of seasons.
• Hanging flowers with real drama. The large pendent flower heads zigzag down in yellow and green, last for weeks, and cut well for a vase.
• Birds work the blooms. Honeyeaters visit the flowers through the season, so the screen earns its keep beyond privacy.
• Thrives where summers are steamy. Heat, humidity and even boggy ground suit it. The wetter corners of a garden, where most screens sulk, are where it does its best work.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 1.5m apart for a lush tropical screen. The clumps knit into a continuous wall of foliage with flowers appearing along its length.

Poolside. Bold leaves, no spikes and soft litter make it a good neighbour for a pool, and it enjoys the reflected warmth.

Feature clumps and mass planting. A single clump anchors a courtyard corner; for larger beds, repeat at 1.5m centres for a uniform stand of foliage.

Growing Rauliniana Heliconia in Australia

Position and climate. Strictly a plant for tropical and subtropical gardens; frost finishes it. Give it full sun to bright dappled shade, with flowering strongest in good light, and shelter from strong wind, which shreds the big leaves.

Soil. Rich and moist is the brief. Dig in plenty of compost and mulch deeply. It tolerates wet feet, which makes it one of the few tall screens for a poorly drained corner.

Water and feed. Generous water through the warm months keeps the canes coming. Heliconias are hungry, so feed with a complete fertiliser in spring and again in midsummer.

Pruning. Each cane flowers once. Cut spent or tired canes off at ground level and the clump replaces them. The clump also spreads steadily by rhizome, so run a spade around the edge each spring to hold its line.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Rauliniana Heliconia in 300mm and 400mm pots as established, multi cane clumps. The big soft leaves are sometimes trimmed for freight, which the plant replaces quickly, and a marked leaf edge or two after transit is normal. Planted into warm soil it settles fast, with new shoots pushing within weeks in summer.

Stock is 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
• More plants for tropical gardens
• Tropical poolside plants for low maintenance gardens

Common questions

Will it take over the garden?

It spreads steadily by rhizome rather than racing away, but it does keep moving where soil is moist. An annual spade cut around the clump edge, or a solid garden edge, keeps it exactly where you planted it.

Can I grow it in Sydney or Melbourne?

It is reliable in tropical and subtropical gardens only. In Sydney it is marginal, worth trying only in a warm, completely frost free pocket where it will grow shorter and slower. In Melbourne it is not an outdoor plant.

Why is my clump not flowering?

Young clumps flower on canes that are at least a season old, so give a new planting time. After that, more light and regular feeding are what bring the flower heads on.

Can it live in a pot?

A large tub works for a year or two, but the thirst and the spreading habit of the clump mean it performs far better in the ground. If you need a potted screen, choose something slower and drier.