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Compare African Iris and Heliconia


Heliconia and African Iris


What is

Life Span
Perennial  
Perennial  

Type
Tender Perennial  
Tender Perennial  

Origin
Southern Africa  
Latin America and the Caribbean  

Types
Perennial  
Heliconiaceae  

Number of Varieties
50  
99+
194  
35

Habitat
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions  
Humid climates, Warmer regions  

USDA Hardiness Zone
8-10  
10-15  

AHS Heat Zone
10-8  
12-10  

Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24  
H1, H2, 24  

Habit
Clump-Forming  
Thicket/Colonizing  

Information

Plant Size
  
  

Minimum Height
61.30 cm  
99+
60.00 cm  
99+

Minimum Width
30.50 cm  
99+
150.00 cm  
99+

Plant Color
  
  

Flower Color
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown  
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Orange, Orange Red  

Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor  
Bicolor  

Fruit Color
Green, Brown  
Red, Orange  

Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green  
Green  

Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green  
Green, Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green  
Dark Green  

Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green  
Light Green  

Shape
  
  

Leaf Shape
Grass like  
Ovate  

Thorns
No  
No  

Season

Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter  

Growing Conditions
  
  

Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  

Growth Rate
Medium  
Very Fast  

Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand  
Loam, Sand  

The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  

Soil Drainage
Average  
Average  

Bloom Time
Indeterminate  
Indeterminate  

Repeat Bloomer
Yes  
Yes  

Tolerances
Drought  
Drought  

Care

Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot  
Container, Ground, Pot  

How to Plant?
Rhizome division, Seedlings  
From Rhizomes, Micropropagation  

Plant Maintenance
Medium  
Low  

Watering Plants
  
  

Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering  
Average Water Needs  

In Summer
Lots of watering  
Lots of watering  

In Spring
Moderate  
Moderate  

In Winter
Average Water  
Average Water  

Soil
  
  

Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline  

Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand  
Loam, Sand  

Soil Drainage Capacity
Average  
Average  

Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade  

Pruning
Remove dead leaves  
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves  

Fertilizers
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer  
Fertilize every two months  

Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Scale  
Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red blotch, Soft scales  

Plant Tolerance
Drought  
Salt  

Facts

Flowers
Showy  
Showy  

Flower Petal Number
Single  
-  

Fruits
  
  

Showy Fruit
No  
Yes  

Edible Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrance
  
  

Fragrant Flower
No  
No  

Fragrant Fruit
No  
No  

Fragrant Leaf
No  
No  

Fragrant Bark/Stem
No  
No  

Showy Foliage
No  
Yes  

Showy Bark
No  
No  

Foliage Texture
Medium  
Coarse  

Foliage Sheen
Matte  
Glossy  

Evergreen
No  
No  

Invasive
No  
Sometimes  

Self-Sowing
Yes  
Yes  

Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies  
Hummingbirds, Insects  

Allergy
Skin irritation  
Toxic  

Benefits

Uses
  
  

Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes  
Beautification, Cottage Garden  

Beauty Benefits
-  
-  

Edible Uses
No  
No  

Environmental Uses
Ethnobotanic  
Food for birds  

Plant Benefits
  
  

Medicinal Uses
-  
Healing  

Part of Plant Used
Root  
Root, Seeds  

Other Uses
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant  
Florist trade and landscaping  

Used As Indoor Plant
No  
No  

Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes  
Yes  

Garden Design
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens  
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Tropical  

Scientific Name

Botanical Name
DIETES bicolor  
HELICONIA psittacorum 'Lady Di'  

Common Name
African iris, Fortnight lily  
Heliconia, Lady Di Heliconia, Parakeet Flower  

In Hindi
African Iris  
Heliconia  

In German
Afrikanische Iris  
Heliconia  

In French
African Iris  
Heliconia  

In Spanish
Iris africano  
Heliconia  

In Greek
Αφρικανική Iris  
Heliconia  

In Portuguese
Iris africano  
Heliconia  

In Polish
Afryki Iris  
Heliconia  

In Latin
African Iris  
Heliconia  

Classification

Kingdom
Plantae  
Plantae  

Phylum
Magnoliophyta  
Magnoliophyta  

Class
Magnoliopsida  
Liliopsida  

Order
Asparagales  
Zingiberales  

Family
Iridaceae  
Heliconiaceae  

Genus
Dietes  
Heliconia  

Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots  
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots  

Tribe
Irideae  
-  

Subfamily
Iridoideae  
-  

Number of Species
300  
99+
198  
99+

What is >>
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Difference Between African Iris and Heliconia

If you are confused whether African Iris or Heliconia are same, here are some features about those plants to help you choose better. Many people think that these two plants have the same characteristics, but one can see African Iris and Heliconia Information and learn more about it. Fertilizers required for proper growth of African Iris are Any balanced general purpose fertilizer, whereas for Heliconia fertilizers required are Fertilize every two months. Hence, one should know the basic difference between African Iris and Heliconia if you are planning to have them in your garden to enhance its beauty.

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Importance of African Iris and Heliconia

Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of African Iris and Heliconia. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare African Iris and Heliconia as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of African Iris is whereas of Heliconia is Healing. African Iris has beauty benefits as follows: while Heliconia has beauty benefits as follows: .

Compare Facts of African Iris vs Heliconia

How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of African Iris vs Heliconia and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of African Iris are Skin irritation whereas of Heliconia have Toxic respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. African Iris has no showy fruits and Heliconia has showy fruits. Also African Iris is not flowering and Heliconia is not flowering . You can compare African Iris and Heliconia facts and facts of other plants too.

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