Variegated Petite Hot Lava Parrots Beak Plant (heliconia psittacorum)

ABOUT THIS HELICONIA PLANT Variegated Petite Hot Lava Parrots Beak Plant (heliconia psittacorum) – Upright Heliconia Variegated Petite Hot Lava – Due to its small stature it has become a favorite variety for patio containers. Long, narrow striated leaves emerge with a lime on jungle-green variegation and slowly morph to a cream on dark green coloration. At maturity this wonderful Heliconia reaches petite a height of three to four feet. The growth rate of Variegated Petite Hot Lava will vary greatly depending on soil type, sunlight, temperature and other factors. A few leaves are often trimmed prior to shipping to reduce transpiration and travel stress. QUICK SPECS OUTDOOR Zone 10a-11 PATIO Zone 4a-11 SOIL TYPE Rich Moist % SUN 75-85% POT SIZE 2x2x7″ Deep INCLUDES One Plant WHY YOU NEED HELICONIAS IN YOUR LANDSCAPE Heliconias are easy to grow plants with lush foliage and unmistakable tropical, lang-lasting blooms. Highly versatile in the landscape, heliconias come in a large variety of colors and sizes allowing you to select the plant that is right for your location. Heliconia flowers are long-lasting, up to three weeks in a vase. Simply cut a stem 18″ or so, remove all foliage that will be in water, put the cut stem ends in vase with warm water and place in a draft-free location. Simply beautiful. At any time you can get a fresh start. Heliconias are clump forming plants often producing 3-5 off-sets per year. If your stand has suffered wind damage or you simply want to clean it up, this can easily be done with a large sharp kitchen knife and without the need for garden tools. If your stand is getting too large or you simply want to get a fresh start, simply cut all stalks off at ground level, the plant will then regenerate with new offsets. HELICONIA PLANT CARE Heliconias will happily grow and flower in a pot or in-ground. They add the ultimate tropical accent to any outdoor space, garden or patio. In cooler zones a containerized heliconia plant can be relocated indoors for the winter months. When you receive your new heliconia plant, there is no need to worry about planting right away. Your new plant can be stored for a while by simply placing it in a bucket with about a half inch of water in the bottom and moving it to a shady location, simply keep moist. This will give you plenty of time to select the ideal location for your new heliconia plant. CONTAINER SIZE All heliconia varieties grow very well in containers, indoors or on the patio. Smaller varieties grow best indoors in 12″ to 18″ diameter pots while larger varieties need enough room for growth, generally a 18″ to 36″ diameter, 14″ deep container will suffice. Remember the looser the roots, the taller and healthier your heliconia will be. When the plant becomes root bound its growth will slow, at that point it is time for a larger pot. SOIL Variegated Petite Hot Lava Heliconia plants enjoy a well drained, general potting mix easily found at your local box store. Remember try to stay away from arid or wet, mucky soils. FERTILIZER Heliconias are heavy feeders, to help establish your new Variegated Petite Hot Lava Heliconia Plant, fertilize ten inches away from the base, four times annually with a slow time released product. Unfertilized they will tend to grow at a slower pace. Note: The heavy salts in cheaper fertilizers will damage the roots and possibly kill the heliconia. Its best to use a brand you know and trust. GROW ZONE & LIGHT Best outdoors if grown in zone 10a-11, find your zone here. This heliconia plant requires 75-85% sunlight. Depending on your location partial sun is often best. In the northern end of their grow zone, containerized Variegated Petite Hot Lava Heliconia plants should be brought indoors or protected during the winter months. In-ground plants require heavy mulching and often die-back, allowing the plant to regenerate and send up fresh, new plants in the spring. The patio zone is 4b-11 which means the potted plant will flourish over the summer months in colder zones but must be brought inside before winter. BEFORE YOU PLANT OUTDOORS At the nursery these heliconias are grown under 20-40% shade cloth. If you plant this heliconia in a brightly lit area you may experience leaf burn. It is best to acclimate this plant to its environment by keeping it outside and slowly moving it into a sunny area over a week or two to avoid stress before planting. WHAT IS THE SHIPPING SIZE All Variegated Petite Hot Lava Heliconia Plants for sale will vary in size. In the spring, plants are often smaller than plants shipped in the fall. Plants designated with a sku ending in -4, -6 or -8 will arrive in a standard 4 inch, 6 inch or 8 inch round growers pot respectively. Our new, reusable, recyclable deep plugs are 7 or 9 inches deep and 2 or 2.5 inches in width. Products growing in these pots are easy to transplant and allow for deeper roots and faster growth, they are designated with a sku ending in -7 or -9. (Note: The item sku number can be found just below the buy button.) The color and style of these pots may vary. If we are out of a particular size item, we may ship a larger size at no additional charge. For more information, click the “best packaging” link at the bottom of this page. Note: Before leaving, heliconias are inspected, watered, and pruned. Larger plants, generally those that ship in 8″ pots, will be topped to 36″ or 48″ overall, depending on the variety, if necessary, to facilitate shipping. Your new plants’ pot is then bagged to ensure that the soil stays in the pot and not loose in the box. Plants are tissue or kraft paper wrapped and generally secured in place with natural biodegradable peanuts. You may want to order your Variegated Petite Hot Lava Parrots Beak Plant (heliconia psittacorum) online now while they are in stock, supplies are limited. Zone.10a Zone.10b Zone.11a Zone.11b