Inside the World of Heliconias

They are sometimes called lobster-claws, wild plantains, or false bird-of-paradise. We are referring to the plants collectively referred to as heliconias. Heliconias are popular for their colorful and beautiful flowers.

Heliconia flowers are actually modified leaves and bracts. From afar, these blooms appear like heads rising from a clump of banana-like leaves. At a closer look, you will observe that the flowers are produced on long and drooping panicles consists of colored waxy bracts. The bracts come in orange, red, purple, yellow, pink, and green color or their combinations. Inside the bracts are true flowers.

The bracts, flowers, and spikes of the Heliconias spell out the difference between erect and pendent varieties. The photo at the left is an erect Heliconia because its bracts are pointing up. Pendent Heliconias are those with bracts hanging down toward the ground.

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