Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Fruit
Origin
Latin America and the Caribbean
Southern Asia, India, Melanesia, Australia
Types
Heliconiaceae
Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis
Number of Varieties
1941
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Humid climates, Warmer regions
Well Drained
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-159-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 24
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Thicket/Colonizing
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm370.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
150.00 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Orange, Orange Red
White, Purple
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red, Orange
Yellow
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Oval
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Early Spring, Spring, Winter, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes, Micropropagation
Budding, Cuttings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
Keep the Soil well drained, Requires watering in the growing season
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
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune in spring, Remove branches, Remove branches that rub together, Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
Fertilize every two months
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, fertilize in spring, fertilize in summer, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Mealybugs, Nematodes, Red blotch, Soft scales
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Salt
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds, Insects
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
Toxic
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Cottage Garden
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Food for birds
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Healing
Respiratory Disorders, Soothing and relieving pain
Part of Plant Used
Root, Seeds
Flowers, Fruits
Other Uses
Florist trade and landscaping
Making Perfumes, Traditional medicine, Used As Food, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Hedges, Houseplant, Shade Trees, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
HELICONIA psittacorum 'Lady Di'
CITRUS medica var. sarcodactylis
Common Name
Heliconia, Lady Di Heliconia, Parakeet Flower
Buddha's Hand, Fingered Citron
In Hindi
Heliconia
Buddha's Hand
Tree
In German
Heliconia
Buddhas Hand
Baum
In French
Heliconia
Main de Bouddha
Arbre
In Spanish
Heliconia
Mano de Buda
Árbol
In Greek
Heliconia
Χέρι του Βούδα
Δέντρο
In Portuguese
Heliconia
Mão de Buda
Árvore
In Polish
Heliconia
Ręka Buddy
Drzewo
In Latin
Heliconia
Buddha manus
Arbor
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
-
Class
Liliopsida
-
Order
Zingiberales
Sapindales
Family
Heliconiaceae
Rutaceae
Genus
Heliconia
Citrus
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
1981
1
27800
👆🏻