Images may show mature specimens and are provided as a guide only. As plants are living products, the size, shape and appearance of the stock supplied may vary from the images shown.
Nursery Direct
Heliconia bihai ‘Chocolate Dancer’
Everything is included in this price: the plant, free delivery and professional installation
The price you see is the whole job: the plant supplied, delivered free and professionally installed. Done for you.
Supplied in 400mmtypically 1.5 to 2.5m tall on delivery
Want to see the actual plant?
The photo shows this species, not the individual plant reserved for you. Send us an enquiry and we usually reply within 1 business day with photos of the actual stock available in the size you want.
Request photosGetting it in: this size needs about 900mm of clear access. Measure the narrowest point on the route and tell us on the booking call. Standard access is included in the price, and anything unusual is quoted and agreed with you before work begins. What happens on installation day
Looking for a larger size?
Sizes shown are the sizes we currently source in this species. If you need larger specimens, project quantities or a size not listed, our sourcing team can look for it through our national supplier network. We confirm your exact stock with you on the booking call before anything ships.
Send An EnquiryYou order. We do the rest.
After checkout, our team contacts you to confirm site access and book a day that suits. Most orders are delivered and planted within 2 to 4 weeks of your booking call. Nothing else for you to organise.
Registered Australian business, ABN 33 683 675 603. Public liability certificates available on request.
Product Details
Overview & Specifications
Price includes everything: the plant, free delivery and professional installation by our planting team. One price, whole job done.
Heliconia bihai ’Chocolate Dancer’
Where most heliconias shout in scarlet and orange, ’Chocolate Dancer’ works in a much darker register: deep maroon to chocolate-toned bracts with lighter keels, held erect on strong stems above the usual broad tropical foliage. The muted colouring reads beautifully against green and burgundy planting and photographs far better than the brighter forms in strong tropical light. It is a plant for gardeners who already have heliconias and want one that is not the obvious choice.
Why ’Chocolate Dancer’
Unusual bract colour: The deep maroon to chocolate tones set it apart from the standard red and orange heliconias.
Upright presentation: The inflorescence is carried erect, keeping the colour above the leaf line.
Strong foliage clump: Even out of flower the paddle leaves form a solid tropical mass.
Warm-season performer: Flowers through the humid months when many other plants are past their best.
Florist stem: The dark bracts are prized for arrangements where red would be too dominant.
Ideal Applications
Dark-toned tropical border: Combines with burgundy cordylines and dark alocasias for a moody planting scheme.
Feature clump near seating: The subtlety of the colour rewards close viewing from a deck or terrace.
Shaded courtyard filler: Handles part shade and brings colour to positions the brighter heliconias find too dim.
Mixed heliconia collection: Provides tonal contrast among red and yellow flowering forms.
Specimen & Installation
Spacing (screening/hedge): 1.2 to 1.8m
Spacing (feature/avenue): 2 to 2.5m
Best Planting Season: Late spring through summer, once soil temperatures are high
Soil & Drainage: Rich, well drained soil kept consistently moist; heavy compost at planting pays off
Establishment Care: Water daily in hot weather for the first two months, then keep the clump evenly moist rather than letting it swing between wet and dry. Mulch heavily, apply a balanced fertiliser every four to six weeks through the growing season, and shelter the clump from wind which shreds the leaves.
Plant Details
Height: 2.5 to 4m
Width: 1.5 to 2.5m per clump
Growth Rate: Fast in warm humid conditions
Foliage: Evergreen, broad and banana-like
Light: Part shade to filtered sun; full sun only with abundant water
Native to: Species native to the Caribbean and tropical South America
Flower Colour: Deep maroon to chocolate red with paler keels
Delivery & Installation
Delivery and installation are included in your price
No freight calculators and no separate installation quote for a standard installation. Your price covers specialist plant transport, positioning and professional planting by our installation team. The whole job, handled.
- Wrapped, secured and transported by specialist plant freight.
- Professionally planted, staked and finished by our install team.
- Our team confirms site access and schedules a time that suits you.
Installation
Professional installation included, never extra
Every plant we sell is planted by our professional installation team, and it's already in the price. We coordinate the delivery, the machinery and the planting for standard site access, so your only job is choosing the tree. Unusual access or engineering requirements? We'll confirm everything with you after checkout before any work begins.
Questions? Send An EnquiryWhy Nursery Direct
Every price includes supply, delivery and installation
Buying a mature tree often means three separate jobs: the plant, the freight and finding someone to plant it. We price the whole job as one: the tree, the delivery and the professional install.
- One price: supplied, delivered and installed
- Mature trees and specimen palms at every scale
- National sourcing for hard-to-find stock
- Residential, estate and commercial projects
How It Works
Place your order. We do the rest.
We Supply
Premium advanced stock, selected from a national network of wholesale growers.
We Deliver
Specialist plant freight brings your order to your door. Free, anywhere in Australia.
We Install
Our professional team plants, stakes, mulches and finishes the job on site.







