HELICONIA CHARACTERISTICS FOR LANDSCAPE USE

Abstract

The plants belonging to Heliconia genus, Heliconiaceae family, have exotic inflorescences in vibrant colors of yellow, orange, red, and pink assigned for tropical garden. There are about 182 species in the genus Heliconia, nevertheless, due to the lack of knowledge of the individual characteristics of each species, only a few are used by landscape designers for ornamental purposes. This work was carried out to characterize Heliconia genotypes for landscape use. The experiment was conducted at Heliconia Germplasm Collection of Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE) - Brazil, in full sun conditions for 12 months. Qualitative and quantitative characteristics related to clump and inflorescence aspects were analyzed in: H. psittacorum × H. spathocircinata ‘Golden Torch Adrian’ and ‘Golden Torch’; H. psittacorum ‘Suriname Sassy’ and ‘Red Opal’; H. collinsiana; H. rostrata; H. foreroi and H. bihai. Except for ‘Red Opal’, H. psittacorum cultivars and their interspecific hybrids were considered to be short plants (less than 1.51 m height) and adequately as a massive flower bed they would not interfere in the open views of the gardens. The species H. bihai, H. collinsiana, H. rostrata and H. foreroi formed inflorescences which last longer than 78 days in good conditions in the clump, which is a remarkable aspect in the landscape. H. bihai inflorescences were difficult to visualize, its bracts accumulated water, attracted insects and had repulsive odor. The evaluated genotypes have traits that cause acceptation and adequacy to landscape design, allowing landscape designers to diversify plant indications.