Heliconia (genus, lobster-claws)

Japanese name: ヘリコニア
Scientific name: Heliconia

[Overview]
A perennial.
It has an underground rhizome.
The part that looks like a stem is called a pseudostem, formed of overlapping leaf sheaths.
The leaves are simple, alternate in 2 rows, oblong and entire.
The inflorescence emerges from between the leaves.
It can flower all year round as long as the temperature is sufficient.
The inflorescence is erect or drooping, with many beautifully colored bracts arranged in 2 rows.
The bracts are boat-shaped, folded in two, and come in various colors such as orange, yellow, red, green and multicolor.
The flowers are inside the bracts; they are tubular, small and inconspicuous.
In its native habitat it is pollinated by hummingbirds.
The fruit is a capsule.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by division.
It likes heat and humidity, and needs 10–15°C or higher to overwinter.
It prefers well-drained, fertile soil.
Direct midsummer sun causes leaf scorch, so move it to partial shade or shade it, and give it plenty of sun from autumn to spring.
During the growing period from spring to autumn, water thoroughly when the soil surface begins to dry so that it never runs short of water, and keep it on the dry side in winter.
No fertilizer is particularly needed other than base fertilizer.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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