Heliconia rauliniana as cut flower and ornamental plant

Heliconia species are used as ornamental plants for landscaping as well as cultivated for cut flower. The objective of this study was to evaluate the Heliconia rauliniana ornamental characteristics and management for garden and cut flower use. The study was carried out at Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE) Heliconia Germplasm Collection, Brazil, from January 2007 to July 2011 (54 months). For use as ornamental plant for landscaping, this species demonstrated to have group growth habit and shoots in the internal part of the clump. The plants present dark green leaves contrasting with the red pendent inflorescences. The flowering period started at nine month after planting (MAP) and the inflorescences with spiraled bracts arrangement are easily visualized in the clump. The inflorescence production was observed mainly from September to December with emission of more than 34 inflorescences per clump at 35 MAP. The total of 698 shoots produced per clump and 227 flowering stems were harvest at 54 MAP. The inflorescences kept the visual quality for more than 73 days after its emission in the clump, when presented 11 bracts. The flower stems harvested with more than three to four open bracts, present 12 days postharvest durability. The period from shoot to inflorescence emergence was 271 days and 19 days from inflorescence emergence to harvesting. The flowering stem diameter was 30 mm, 1.34 m stem height and 0.34 and 0.35 m inflorescence length and width, respectively. The stem fresh weight (0.80 m height) was 0.23 kg. This species represents a good option to be used in landscape design either covering walls or in open areas. It could be planted with other ornamental plants to create compositions with different colors, forms and textures. Also, as cut flower, it could be harvest with different numbers of bracts, maintaining the postharvest quality. Such information will be important to the selection of genotypes and serves as guidelines for studies on heliconia breeding programs.