Heliconia is a tree, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 8 through 10 and shrugs off deer. Its summer flowers are a real draw for hummingbirds.
Heliconia — the short answer
Heliconia: grown in zones 8–10.
- USDA zones
- 8–10
- Not verified
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Heliconia on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether heliconia actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score heliconia against your land's real conditions.
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What Heliconia is
Heliconia reaches around 15 feet at maturity. It blooms in summer. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Heliconia
Heliconia grows in USDA zones 8 through 10.
USDA Zones
8-10
Not verified
Soil pH
Data pending
Sun
Data pending
Drainage
Data pending
Mature Height
15 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Plant it right
Set heliconia in full sun with well-drained soil.
Match the soil
Pull a soil test from your local Extension lab to confirm pH and drainage match heliconia's needs before planting.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. Match watering to the plant's drainage preference and your local rainfall.
Shape it while it is young
Prune heliconia only to remove dead, damaged or crossing branches while it is young; it is grown for its form, not a harvest, so little more is needed once it settles in.
Where Heliconia thrives
Heliconia is hardy across USDA zones 8 through 10. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 8–10 spans average winter lows from 10°F to 40°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 1 outright and splits 27 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 8–10·Where Heliconia growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Heliconia stands, state by state
Heliconia is rated for zones 8–10 — a cold floor USDA puts at 10 to 20°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 1 sits fully inside that band, the line runs through 27 more, and 23 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
The line runs through
27 states
- Alaska · zones 1a-9a
- Idaho · zones 3b-8a
- California · zones 4b-11a
3 of 27 shown
Heliconia’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Heliconia
Growing guides for heliconia
Related plants in perennial flower
Good to know
Heliconia is a standout pollinator plant — high value to bees and other pollinators.
Your land is one point inside Heliconia's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Heliconia will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether heliconia actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Heliconia
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Heliconia in my zone?
Heliconia grows in USDA hardiness zones 8 through 10. Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Heliconia?
Set heliconia out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.
What soil does Heliconia need?
Specific pH data for heliconia is pending. A soil test from your local Extension lab confirms what your site needs.
Does Heliconia attract pollinators?
Yes — heliconia's flowers are a strong nectar and pollen source for hummingbirds.
Keep exploring Heliconia
Heliconia state by state
Every state heliconia's zone reaches — 2 link straight to that state's heliconia growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.