Can the growth of a Heliconia Rostrata/Wagneriana be controlled?

Question

Hi,

I am buying a rhizome for a Heliconia Rostrata and Helicona Wagneriana to grow in my house. I heard that these suckers can grow up to 8-9 feet hight! My ceilings though are only about 8 feet high ( I think). Is there a way to control the growth so it only grows as high as I want it to?

Answer 1

It will be quite awhile before your rhizome will create a plant 9 feet tall. My info is that H rostrata is three to 9 feet in eventual height, while H. wagneriana is only 3 feet. For maximum beauty, neither should not be "topped" when they get too large for your space. But rather the whole cane should be cut to the soil line when it gets too big. By the time a cane gets that big, there will be many more, so you will only miss the one you removed for a little while. If you "top" a large cane off it will look truncated and take away from the beauty of the clump. Again, though, it will be a long time before you have to face this issue. PS: Be sure to give the Heliconias the very most light possible for maximum blooms.