Worth trying Heliconia from seed?

I don't think I have read of anyone who has managed to get these to grow from seed ...

and if I did would I ever get them to flower?

Having said that, I think they might produce some nice foliage - but I also read that they grow slowly (one leaf per month?), so it would be late in the year before they had much foliage

They seem to be very Red Spider prone if kept in the greenhouse / conservatory

So why would I bother from seed? or even if I bought a plant? :(

and if I did then what variety?

H. Bahai sounds as though it might be a good choice (not found seed for that though)
Heliconia scheideana which sounds like it is perhaps the most hardy.
Heliconia rostrata probably the best known, and looks to have nice flowers (IF it flowers that is ...)

In short ... I wonder why I would even attempt these / bother?

 

Kristen , if the seeds are not fresh , you will waist enough money to buy a plant , I would like to give another go myself , but the only one i would try is the fire and ice (coldish resistant) , I had a lovely dwarf jamaica last year , but as soon as you overwatering , the root will rotting down....very delicate plant.
Go for the fire and ice.

 

Here's a growing tip from a contact in the States. His pot grown ones are potted up in horse manure and grit - nothing else! He's living in SoCal, so they are growing outdoors - horse shino in the conservatory would probably not be too agreeable! The point of all this is that like Brugs they're greedy sods, so feed them like crazy.

I had some seeds and just one germinated, but I was not careful enough with the water and lost it when it was fairly young.

 

Thanks chaps.

I'll skip it. I've definitely got enough on, and I'm going EVEN MORE CRAZY THAN NORMAL in my seed buying AND ITS ONLY JUST OCTOBER.

I'll calm down in a moment ... I'M SURE I WILL ...

 

Where's your spirit of adventure!

 

... in the other 9,999 packets of seed I have bought ... SO FAR THIS AUTUMN :D