Cold-hardy heliconias.

[Clinton3666]

Hi members,
Can you please help me about choose the cold hardy heliconias for growing in zone 9-10 in latitude 36 to 38 o S.

I lives in Thames, New Zealand at latitude 37 o S and in zone 10.

Can you please send me the list of names of heliconia species ???

I appreciate your help.

Clinton.

[palmtree]

In a zone 10, you can grow a ton of different heliconias. One of the most cold tolerant though is Heliconia schiedeana. It can handle a bit of frost and come back from temperatures as low as 15F which is a zone 8 temperature!

How often do frosts occur? Thats very important because some zone 10s are nearly frost free, but others get frosts several times a year.

[Clinton3666]

Hi palmtree,
Thames had 10 frosts a year (Used to had 15 frosts a year before 2000)
15-17 rainy days per month during June to August winter.
Lowest winter temperature: average 3 oC, above freezing point, but can drop to -1 oC below freezing point for few nights during winter. In Thames & northward, June to August are coolest and wettest months.

My ornamental banana plants: musa ornata, m.mannii had surivied and had flowered for years. Sometimes Thames can switch from zone 10, to zone 9 and switch back to zone 10, deanding on weather pattens.

Can you please send me the list of cold hardy heliconias for both zones 9 and 10.

Clinton.

[palmtree]

Here are 2 other cold hardy heliconias.....
Heliconia Lathispatha (seems to be capable of coming back from freezes and even rare snows)
Heliconia Champneiana "Maya Blood" (seems to also handle light frosts and vigorously come back when killed by freezes).

Wish I knew more!

[Clinton3666]

Hi palmtree,
Heliconia champneiana are not cold hardy as I had it and it died during wintertime inside my unheated hothouse. I'm testing h. latispatha in my backyard garden. I have heliconias... subulata, spissa, bourgeana, schiedeana, pendula at my place.

Names of species of cold-hardy heliconias
pendula
subulata
lankesteri
secunda
dielsiana
impudica
velloziana
spissa
bourgeana
nutans
tortuosa
librata
vaginalis
virginalis
fernandezii
latispatha
griggsianas
mutisiana
mathiasiae

Clinton.

[palmtree]

I heard mixed things about Champneiana, but I hear its a vigorous re-sprouter so I thought that it might be worth a try. I guss they are a bit less tolerant than I thought! Wow, nice list of cold hardy heliconias.

[griphuz]

Still cant believe you guys call a zone 10 cold hardy, haha

Kind regards,
Remko.

[palmtree]

Originally Posted by griphuz

Still cant believe you guys call a zone 10 cold hardy, haha

Kind regards,
Remko.

I agree! I wish I was in a zone 10. I would consider that pretty tropical!