Heliconia

Heliconia
Botanical Family: Heliconiaceae

Holicania, the only genus in the family Heliconiacea, is among the fastest-expanding groups of ornamental plants. Growing from underground rhizomes, all have erect shoot and leaves that maybe vertically arranged like those of a banana, horizontally like those of a ginger.

Heliconia is mostly native to the American tropics and the Pacific Ocean islands west to Indonesia. Many of the most beautiful specimens growing below 1,200 feet but other found at higher altitudes up to 6,000 feet. The leaves are 15-300 cm long , oblong, growing opposite one another on non-woody petioles often longer than the leaf, often forming large clumps with age.

Their flowers are produced on long, erect or drooping panicles, and consist of brightly colored waxy bracts, with small true flowers peeping out from the bracts.

Heliconia needs rich soil, plenty of water (but good drainage), and sunlight. Each plant stalk blooms but once and should be cut back to the ground afterwards.

Source:

Tropical Garden Plants