Lobster-Claw

The leaves of this plant are paddle-shaped, and they are related to the banana family.

Heliconias are sometimes called “lobster claws” or “parrot flowers” because of their beak-like “bracts” which can be orange, purple, red, yellow, pink, green or a combination of these

Performs best in full sun or slight shade in humus-rich, constantly moist, acidic, or neutral, well-drained soils.

Watering must be regular and abundant in summer, letting the soil partially dry up before watering again.

Fertilize with slow-release balanced products with the addition of microelements.

Common names for the genus include lobster-claws, toucan beak, wild plantain, or false bird-of-paradise; the last term refers to their close similarity to the bird-of-paradise flowers in the Strelitzia genus. Collectively, these plants are also simply referred to as “heliconias”.