Pest battle with Heliconia — and how I won

I had a serious problem with spider mite infestations in hot dry conditions on my Heliconia earlier this year. Caught it late and had to work hard to bring the plant back. The experience was frustrating but educational.

Now that it's healthy again I can fully appreciate natural air-purifying properties noted in indoor conditions, which is remarkable. I've repositioned it in a bathroom with high natural light and steam humidity and improved my attention to providing high humidity through pebble trays or regular misting. active growth flush when moved outdoors in early summer was the proof that the plant had fully recovered — genuinely beautiful. Moral of the story: inspect regularly and catch problems early.