Heliconia

[bduvall]

Does anyone know where I can buy lobsterclaw heliconia to plant in my yard?

[csgray]

There has been a lady at Maku'u market who sells all kinds of Heliconia starts out of the bed of her PU truck.

Carol

[bananahead]

they are related to banana and grow the same way.. easy to propagate!
they can cost good $$ if you buy at a market because of the size of the bag/pot they are replanted into... best way to save $$ is find a friend with some in yard (usually overgrown) or see wild unkept masses along the older roads especially up Hamakua way and just dig/pull out a few corms/rhizomes (root masses) and transplant them to your yard where they can multiply. I have about 10-15 different types of Heliconia and never bought one

******************************************************************
save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha

[WillyHunglo]

I would recommend against it. They also are mosquito and coqui attractors that will spread faster than you would like. You will have to wind up poisoning to control them or hours of backbreaking digging type work. I've been on my property for more than 30 years and I am still trying battling to keep them back. Wish they were never planted.

[Cagary]

These guys have a great selection and are in Hilo.

http://www.plantgrouphawaii.com/#!thai-branch-2/c11nz

WillyHunglo is right about some heliconia varieties being invasive. You'll probably want to stay away from the "psittacorum" type. They can spread like crazy.

Other varieties like the "lobsterclaw" (Heliconia rostrata) are not spreading, but do grow best with some shade. Do you have a tree canopy you can plant them under?

-Veritas odium parit”(Terence 195–159 BC))-"Truth begets hatred".

[Justin]

I can also vouch for Plant Group Hawaii - tons of variety, very knowledgeable. They're on Railroad near Home Depot.

[allensylves]

Unfortunately, none of the 'links' on their website work on my flaky computer.

Allen
Finally in HPP

[kalakoa]

Fewer mosquitos with the "pendant" varieties; the flowers hang upside down, so don't collect water.

[bduvall]

Mahalo for the responses. Want to plant amongst bananas and hapuu fern and maybe in large pots on shady lanai. Love their tropical look.