Balisier, an exotic flower to rediscover

Red balisier flower still facing upwards before it bends over.

Balisier, a flower from the Heliconia genus, is a magnificent rhizome flower that is easy to care for.

Basic Balisier facts

NameHeliconia bihai
Family – Cannaceae
Type – rhizome perennial

Height – 1 ½ to 4 feet (50 to 120 cm)
Exposure – full sun
Soil – rich, humus, draining

Flowering – June to September

Planting and protecting your balisier in winter are practices that will enable you to witness its blooming year after year.

Balisier is really a flower to discover!

Planting balisier

Planting balisier in the ground

It is a good idea to plant your Heliconia bihai during April or May depending on the climate, planting the rhizomes quite deep: 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm).
Canna takes up space: a distance of around 20 to 24 inches (50 to 60 cm) is needed between plants.

Sowing balisier

If you’re planning to propagate your own rhizomes, place them in seedling and cutting soil mix in February or March and let it sit in a warm spot. You’ll be able to transfer them to the ground in May.

Crown division in spring is another way to propagate your balisier.

Caring for balisier and winter keeping

Beautiful balisier flower with thick glossy balisier leavesRemove wilted flowers regularly.

Water regularly in case of heat, especially the mini-balisier that are often grown potted.

Balisier in fall and winter

In fall, cut your plants back down to 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) from the base once the foliage has died off entirely, pull them out and store them in a cool, ventilated room during the entire winter.

In spring, you can plant them out again.

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Learn more about balisier

Balisier sold in stores usually are hybrids that come from several species. Its root is a slow-spreading rhizome.

It bears magnificent flowers and the great variety of colors will give your flower beds exotic appeal.

Smart tip about balisier

Watch out for the different varieties when you are planting balisier in flower beds, because colors, leaves and size differ from one variety to the next.


Image credits (edits Gaspard Lorthiois):
Public Domain: Andy Wraithmell, Petr Kratochvil