Red Christmas: Tropical Plant with Winter Blooms

The Red Christmas Heliconia, also known as Red Holiday, is highly favoured as a centre attraction in tropical gardens, or other similar garden styles that require a unique ornamental plant. Just like other varieties of heliconias, this plant is ideal as a screening plant although it's smaller than other heliconias. The aesthetic appeal of the Heliconia Red Christmas also makes it a popular choice as a dramatic highlight in indoor pots.

Native to Central and South America, Heliconia Angusta Red Christmas thrives in warm climates and humid envronments. Its widely known moniker, Red Christmas, comes from the fact that it blooms in winter, coinciding with the holiday season.

Unlike other heliconias, Red Christmas prefers to be grown in part shade. Ideally, it needs 2-3 hours of sunlight in the morning. The rest of the day it prefers bright shade rather than direct sunlight.

How to Plant Heliconia Red Christmas?

When planting Heliconia Red Christmas, consider its need for moist, well drained soil and protection from the hot afternoon sun. Check out more essential planting tips here:

• Since Heliconia Red Christmas thrives in filtered sunlight or partial shade, choose a sunny to partly shaded spot. It grows well in cooler climates, so the plant can tolerate full sun in this condition. Otherwise, it needs to be grown in part shade location.
• Red Christmas Heliconia likes moist, well-draining soil that's rich in organic matter. It's best to add organic compost to further enrich the soil.
• There should be enough space between Heliconia plants, ideally 1-1.5 metres apart, to ensure air circulation and proper growth.
• Water the plant deeply after planting to establish roots. Keep the soil consistently moist, but avoid waterlogging.

Why Should You Buy Heliconia Red Christmas?

This plant's winter blooms are downright gorgeous, making it an excellent addition to any garden or indoor space that needs an eye-catching tropical element. Here are more reasons to love Red Christmas Heliconia:

• Vibrant Bracts: The bright red bracts are very unique, not to mention eye-catching, making them a visual focal point in gardens.
• Year-Round Colour: While it only blooms from winter to spring, the beautiful foliage and vibrant bracts providing dramatic colours year-round.
• Lush, Green Foliage: The large, banana-like leaves add texture and a sense of lushness to the landscape. Plus, the huge leaves also make Red Christmas a great screening plant.
• Attracts Wildlife: The flowers attract hummingbirds and other pollinators, making your garden a haven for wildlife.
• Great for Indoors: This plant can be grown in large pots indoors, incorporating an exotic, tropical ambiance to your home.

How to Care for Heliconia Red Christmas?

With proper care and maintenance, Heliconia Red Christmas will thrive and offer enduring tropical beauty in your garden. Here’s how to maintain healthy growth:

• Heliconias love moisture, especially during hot, dry periods. To provide the moisture it needs, water consistently to keep the soil evenly moist, but not too much that it becomes soggy. In colder months, it's fine to reduce the watering frequency.
• Apply organic mulch around the base of the plant to conserve moisture and improve soil structure.
• Apply fertiliser during the growing season (spring and mid-summer) to encourage lush foliage and radiant bracts. Additional fertilising tip: A fertiliser high in potassium will support flowering.
• Regular pruning is essential when caring for Red Christmas Heliconia. Simply remove dead or yellowing leaves to promote healthy new growth and maintain a sleek appearance.
• This Heliconia variety is suited for shade, so ensure that it is planted in a location where it doesn't get too much direct sunlight. Red Christmas is unlikely to die if grown in full sun, but it may not look as good as it should be.

Things to Consider When Growing Heliconia Angusta

Heliconia Red Christmas does well in temperate climates, liking a steady temperature of around 18°C, but preferably not below 15°C.

In terms of lighting requirements, Heliconia Angusta enjoys the sun, but overall if prefers a partially shaded position sheltered from too much direct sunlight, wind or frost extremes. For growing indoors in pots, a filtered sunny window is recommended.

Lastly, while Heliconia Angusta is smaller than other varieties, it can still reach up to 3 metres, meaning it needs ample space in an outdoor garden with outdoor pots or planted in large pots if grown indoors.

Treating Heliconia Red Christmas for Pests and Diseases

Heliconia Red Christmas is relatively pest-resistant but may occasionally suffer from aphids and scale insects. With these two notorious garden culprits, insecticidal soap or neem oil are the most commonly used remedies and, more often than not, they seem to do the job.

When it comes to dealing with fungal diseases, first, ensure that you're not overwatering your plant as this can lead to root rot and other fungal problems. If you notice leaf spots or browning, trim off the affected leaves and improve watering practices to prevent further damage.

Where Can I Buy Heliconia Red Christmas?

This unique tropical plant is available at the Local Botanist, where you can have it delivered right to your doorstep. It's perfect for tropical-themed gardens placed around pools as a screening plant.

Ready to design your own outdoor retreat filled with luscious foliage and flowers? We also offer gardening inspiration to help you achieve your dream garden.

Companion Plants for Heliconia Red Christmas

When designing a garden with Heliconia Angusta, consider pairing it with other tropical plants to create a consistent theme. Of course, it helps that similar plants also share almost the same growing conditions, transforming your space into a low maintenance outdoor oasis.

Excellent and suitable companion plants include:

• Giant Bird of Paradise: Adds screening structure with its large banana-like leaves similar to Red Christmas' foliage.
• Cordyline Rubra: Offers contrasting foliage with its striking, burgundy-red leaves.
• Star Jasmine Trachelospermum Jasminoides: Softens the landscape with its thick greenery and small, dainty white flowers.
• Imperial Green Philodendron: Incorporates large, bold leaves that enhance your space's tropical ambiance.