Product Description
Heliconia Canvas Posters
Heliconia Canvas Posters
Tropical flowers never fail to astound and amaze with their forms and colors. Lobster claw plant is no exception, with large, brightly hued bracts that cluster up a stem. Heliconia lobster claw is also called parrot flower and has inconsequential tiny flowers covered by the showy bracts. It is native to Central to South America and is hardy in the United States. Tropical gardeners are lucky to get some of the most fascinating flowering plants to grow. Heliconia is in a group of plants that may grow up to 15 feet tall in nature but likely only to 3 to 6 feet in a home landscape. They are not at all frost hardy, and therefore not suited for growing outdoors where cold temperatures are common. The thick bracts make excellent cut flowers with a long vase life. Heliconias are known to those who grow them as a host flower to many birds, especially the Hummingbird. Because of its unique characteristics, it is often used as a specimen for tropical gardens. Leaves are glossy green, oval and paddle shaped. They grow in an upright habit with the flower stems in the center. Flower bracts are arranged in terminal racemes, which may be held erect or pendulant. Heliconia lobster claw may be found in red, orange or yellow, usually tipped with a bright gold splash. Flowers do not appear until this perennial is two years old. Lobster claw plant thrives in either partial shade or full sun locations. The soil must be well draining, but fertile and moist. Potted plants will do well in a mixture of equal parts soil, fine wood mulch and peat moss. Slightly acidic soil is best.
