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Expanded lobsterclaw

Heliconia latispatha

Expanded lobsterclaw
Photo: Justin Lebar, CC BY-SA 3.0

Heliconia latispatha is a clump-forming tropical herb from the rhizome, with banana-like leaves and erect red or orange bracts holding yellow or green flowers. It needs warmth, humidity and bright light to bloom well.

Family
Heliconiaceae (Heliconi family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Part shade, Bright indirect
Water
Keep soil consistently moist during growth and water more in hot weather, but avoid waterlogging.
Soil
Rich, well-draining loam or peat-based potting mix with plenty of organic matter.
Temperature
20–30 °C; protect below 10 °C
How easy
Moderate
Native range
E. & S. Mexico to NE. Peru and Venezuela
Climate
wet tropical

About

Heliconia latispatha (expanded lobsterclaw) is a plant species native to southern Mexico (Tabasco, Oaxaca, Chiapas, Campeche), Central America and northern South America (Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru) and naturalized in Florida and Jamaica. It is an herbaceous perennial up to 4 m tall, with leaves resembling those of bananas. The inflorescence is erect, up to 45 cm long, with red or orange bracts subtending green, yellow or orange flowers.

Other Heliconia plants

False Bird Of Paradise · Christmas Heliconia · Macawflower · Pink Flamingo Heliconia · Platanillo · Heliconia episcopalis · Heliconia hirsuta · Heliconia indica · False bird of paradise · Fire Bird · Kitty Kat Heliconia · Heliconias

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Heliconia latispatha by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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