Heliconia Cut Flower Production – a 2 year study in Hawaii

Plants of 20 commercial heliconia cultivars or species were established at the Waimanalo Research Farm (Oahu) of the University of Hawaii as part of a research study on growth and flower production. Productivity and periodicity results from the 18 heliconia species and cultivars that survived are reported. Five plants in 7.6 l pots of each genotypes were planted at spacings of 2.5 m in row, with between row spacings of 3 m in July 1999. Beginning a month later, newly emerged shoots were tagged every four weeks. At flowering, the shoots were harvested and leaf counts made. The information derived from the data include time frame from shoot emergence to flower, shoot production during the first year, percentage of shoots from each tag date that flowered and the periodicity of flowering during a two year period following planting. compared to wax treatment.