Heliconia psittacorum (lobster claw heliconia)

Heliconias are closely related to the popular bird of paradise flower ( Strelitzia reginae ), but are significantly less well-known. In our opinion, they should be, because they are often beautiful, not only because of their flowers but also because of their attractive foliage!

The lobster claw heliconia, Heliconia psittacorum, is one of the smallest species and reaches maturity at around 1.5m in height. It also blooms regularly from a height of only 1m (unlike the bird of paradise flower, which needs to reach a height of 2.5m before it even thinks about blooming, something that is usually unattainable in a normal apartment).

The flowers of H. psittacorum are black/orange and indeed shaped like small lobster claws. They appear in small groups on flower stalks that are about 1 to 1.5 meters tall. It can bloom continuously from May to October.

It grows from an underground rhizome and maintains a very compact, upright form. It is quite fast-growing and undemanding. A truly wonderful and still relatively unknown houseplant.