This sounds like a kind of plant I would love to play with - like Cannas but 'safe.' It sounds like you don't have any, Tropic? The flowers or leaves don't do much for me, but if hummingbirds would enjoy it, I'm all for it. I wonder if these can be stored dormant, like a Canna, Gladiolus, or Colocasia bulb? Daggone it, apparently I've failed some kind of quiz. Never heard of RONA store, but I better remember that's where Will works! Don't even tell me that having no more room means that one stops acquiring plants, I won't listen! It's been tried before. Are these plants outside at the store where hummingbirds could visit? Are there hummingbirds in Canada? Last summer I saw a hummingbird moth (not related to actual hummingbirds at all) visiting flowers at a WM, that was cool.

I tried to edit my post, but couldn't, to say that you may have to wait until a bloom appears, since the leaves could be attributed to many 'familiar looking' plants. Presently, our Heliconia psittacorums and Heliconia schiedeana are in full bloom and have been for the past few months, but am not sure when they bloom in your area of Florida. If, it is a Calathea, they seem to thrive on neglect, in that they only require watering when it is extremely dry. As does Heliconia psittacorums and Heliconia schiedeana where here they receive absolutely no additional water during the dry season that last from Jan-May... in our area at least. Obviously, none of the above don't like the cold. Good luck.

I was just wondering this morning if bottom heat would be good for them, instead of sitting on a cold kitchen counter! How does this sound? I have baseboard heat..I am thinking of moving them to another window, by my bed where they will have a south window, and a baseboard underneath for heat..then what if I double pot (each pot put inside bigger pot and then the inside pot sitting on something to raise it) so they get humidity from the water in the second pot but aren't sitting in it? Maybe still mist them 2x a day? I do wanna turn my master bath into a kinda green room for the winter (I'm sure every1 here will just looove that! lol), but until that's done do you think this idea will be OK? Thanks again, guys I really appreciate the help! Daniella

In my experience, psittacorum are the easiest heliconias to grow. If you want a real challenge, try growing H. zebrinia and H. 'rubricaulis'. The latter has a confused nomenclature and needs to be visually identified just to buy it. See http://www.general-cathexis.com/images/HeliconiaRubricaulis.jpg If well grown, you will have something to brag about.