If You Like A Real Challenge
 

Suppose that there was a plant in the banana family that looked like a banana plant with beautiful variegated foliage but, it was very difficult to grow well? Would you even try to grow it?

I call your attention to heliconia 'rubricaulis':





The species name is confused, usually indica, illustris, or spectabilis. To buy it, you will have to show an image to a grower, e.g., one in Hawaii. It is very cold sensitive, has a weak root system and is an unstable chimera.

Here is it's introduction to western civilization in 1883:



This is heliconia 'spectabilis' which is relatively easy to grow:


There are many other solid red leaved heliconia but a unique characteristic of spectabilis is that the leaf margins are wavy with a period of about 0.25 inches.

Re: If You Like A Real Challenge
 

My vote is for a solid white variegated AEAE it would be harder lol. Could you imagine eating some bright solid white bananas!

Re: If You Like A Real Challenge
 

Doesn't look like a banana plant to me, but what do I know.

Re: If You Like A Real Challenge
 

It's not. But a close relation to Bananas and Birds. There is Strelitiziaceae (Birds of Parsdise), Musaceae (need I say it: BANANA), and Heliconiaceae (False Birds of Paradise). This family is usually nick named 'Parkeets'.

Re: If You Like A Real Challenge
 

Those are beautiful plants....

Re: If You Like A Real Challenge
 

From

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musaceae

"The family has been practically universally recognized by taxonomists, although with differing circumscriptions. Older circumscriptions of the family commonly included the genera now included in Heliconiaceae and Strelitziaceae."

So, I am old school. I have better things to do than keep up with the changing opinions of low IQ taxonomists. There is even a possibility that the Old World Heliconia are a different genera than the New World Heliconia. But, a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.

Re: If You Like A Real Challenge
 

Some people just don't listen

Re: If You Like A Real Challenge
 

Here are images of more Old World heliconia cultivars:

'Aureo-Striata':

This is probably the easiest to grow because it has the lowest humidity requirement. I successfully grew it planted in the ground outdoors during the summer in the Chicago area.

Maybe, 'Bangkok':

This looks a little different than the one I grew, but, 'Bangkok' definitely has cream colored blotches.

'Rubra':

This has relatively wide cupped leaves. This image is a scan from A.B. Graph's Tropica. Despite the caption, it is my plant with my back yard lawn in the background and I lent the photo to Mr. Graph. I am uncertain whether the original was a 35mm slide or a Polaroid. If it was a Polaroid, it is now badly faded. Anyway, it is too much work to find and scan the original.

Unlike New World Heliconia, Old World Heliconia have bracts that are the same color as the leaves and, as such, are inconspicuous on the plant. The 'rubricaulis' bracts even have stripes similar to those on the leaves. Some, if not many, Old World Heliconia are pollinated by bats. I suspect that it is impossible to cross Old World and New World Heliconia but that is only my guess.

Re: If You Like A Real Challenge
 

Suppose there was a true banana with prettier red variegated leaves out there....

Re: If You Like A Real Challenge
 

there is.. its called a siam ruby red banana. i have one. its beautiful

Re: If You Like A Real Challenge
 

Do you think that this:



is more beautiful than this?:



Musa 'Siam Ruby' is certainly a lot easier to grow.

Re: If You Like A Real Challenge
 

There is also a New World heliconia,
heliconia zebrina:



which resembles calathea zebrina: