203 Species of Genus Heliconia

The Vibrant World of Heliconia: A Personal Exploration

My name is Ferb Vu, and I’ve always been drawn to the vibrant colors and exotic forms of tropical flora. Among my favorites is the Heliconia, a genus of plants that never ceases to amaze me with its diversity and beauty. Native to the tropical Americas and the Pacific Ocean islands, these plants, often called “lobster claws” or “false bird-of-paradise,” bring a touch of the exotic to any garden or floral arrangement.  

A Diverse Genus

What strikes me most about Heliconia is the sheer variety within the genus. With somewhere 200 species, there’s a Heliconia for every taste. From the fiery reds and oranges of Heliconia rostrata to the subtle pinks and greens of Heliconia psittacorum, the color combinations seem endless. And the shapes! Some bracts are long and pendulous, like those of Heliconia chartacea, while others are short and upright, like those of Heliconia stricta.

Here are:

1. Heliconia abaloi G.Morales
2. Heliconia acuminata A.Rich.
3. Heliconia adflexa (Griggs) Standl.
4. Heliconia aemygdiana Burle-Marx
5. Heliconia albicosta (G.S.Daniels & F.G.Stiles) L.Andersson
6. Heliconia angelica Abalo & G.Morales
7. Heliconia angusta Vell.
8. Heliconia apparicioi Barreiros
9. Heliconia arrecta W.J.Kress & Betancur
10. Heliconia atratensis Abalo & G.Morales
11. Heliconia atropurpurea G.S.Daniels & F.G.Stiles
12. Heliconia aurantiaca Verschaff.
13. Heliconia aurea G.Rodr.
14. Heliconia auriculata Barreiros
15. Heliconia badilloi Abalo & G.Morales
16. Heliconia barryana W.J.Kress
17. Heliconia beckneri R.R.Sm.
18. Heliconia bella W.J.Kress
19. Heliconia berguidoi R.Flores, C.Black & A.Ibáñez
20. Heliconia berriziana Abalo & G.Morales
21. Heliconia berryi Abalo & G.Morales
22. Heliconia bihai (L.) L.
23. Heliconia bourgaeana Petersen
24. Heliconia brachyantha L.Andersson
25. Heliconia brenneri Abalo & G.Morales
26. Heliconia burleana Abalo & G.Morales
27. Heliconia calatheiphylla G.S.Daniels & F.G.Stiles
28. Heliconia caquetensis Abalo & G.Morales
29. Heliconia carajaensis Barreiros
30. Heliconia caribaea Lam.
31. Heliconia carmelae Abalo & G.Morales
32. Heliconia chartacea Lane ex Barreiros
33. Heliconia chiapensis C.Gut.Báez
34. Heliconia chrysocraspeda Abalo & G.Morales
35. Heliconia clinophila R.R.Sm.
36. Heliconia colgantea R.R.Sm. ex G.S.Daniels & F.G.Stiles
37. Heliconia collinsiana Griggs
38. Heliconia combinata Abalo & G.Morales
39. Heliconia cordata L.Andersson
40. Heliconia crassa Griggs
41. Heliconia cristata Barreiros
42. Heliconia cucullata W.J.Kress & L.Andersson
43. Heliconia curtispatha Petersen
44. Heliconia danielsiana W.J.Kress
45. Heliconia darienensis L.Andersson
46. Heliconia dasyantha K.Koch & C.D.Bouché
47. Heliconia densiflora Verl.
48. Heliconia dielsiana Loes.
49. Heliconia donstonea W.J.Kress & Betancur
50. Heliconia episcopalis Vell.
51. Heliconia estherae Abalo & G.Morales
52. Heliconia estiletioides Abalo & G.Morales
53. Heliconia excelsa L.Andersson
54. Heliconia farinosa Raddi
55. Heliconia faunorum W.J.Kress & L.Andersson
56. Heliconia fernandezii Abalo & G.Morales
57. Heliconia × flabellata Abalo & G.Morales
58. Heliconia foreroi Abalo & G.Morales
59. Heliconia fragilis Abalo & G.Morales
60. Heliconia fredberryana W.J.Kress
61. Heliconia fugax L.Andersson
62. Heliconia gaiboriana Abalo & G.Morales
63. Heliconia gigantea W.J.Kress & Betancur
64. Heliconia gilbertiana Abalo & G.Morales
65. Heliconia gloriosa Abalo & G.Morales
66. Heliconia gracilis G.S.Daniels & F.G.Stiles
67. Heliconia griggsiana L.B.Sm.
68. Heliconia harlingii L.Andersson
69. Heliconia hirsuta L.f.
70. Heliconia holmquistiana Abalo & G.Morales
71. Heliconia huilensis Abalo & G.Morales
72. Heliconia ignescens G.S.Daniels & F.G.Stiles
73. Heliconia imbricata (Kuntze) Baker
74. Heliconia impudica Abalo & G.Morales
75. Heliconia indica Lam.
76. Heliconia intermedia Abalo & G.Morales
77. Heliconia irrasa R.R.Sm.
78. Heliconia juliani Barreiros
79. Heliconia juruana Loes.
80. Heliconia kautzkiana Emygdio & E.Santos
81. Heliconia lanata (P.S.Green) W.J.Kress
82. Heliconia lankesteri Standl.
83. Heliconia lasiorachis L.Andersson
84. Heliconia latispatha Benth.
85. Heliconia laufao W.J.Kress
86. Heliconia laxa Abalo & G.Morales
87. Heliconia lentiginosa Abalo & G.Morales
88. Heliconia librata Griggs
89. Heliconia lingulata Ruiz & Pav.
90. Heliconia litana W.J.Kress
91. Heliconia longa (Griggs) H.J.P.Winkl.
92. Heliconia longiflora R.R.Sm.
93. Heliconia lophocarpa G.S.Daniels & F.G.Stiles
94. Heliconia lourteigiae Emygdio & E.Santos
95. Heliconia lozanoi Abalo & G.Morales
96. Heliconia luciae Barreiros
97. Heliconia lutea W.J.Kress
98. Heliconia lutheri W.J.Kress
99. Heliconia maculata W.J.Kress
100. Heliconia magnifica W.J.Kress
101. Heliconia × mantenensis B.R.Silva, Senna V. & Emygdio
102. Heliconia marginata (Griggs) Pittier
103. Heliconia mariae Hook.f.
104. Heliconia markiana Abalo & G.Morales
105. Heliconia mathiasiae G.S.Daniels & F.G.Stiles
106. Heliconia meridensis Klotzsch
107. Heliconia metallica Planch. & Linden ex Hook.
108. Heliconia mincana Abalo & G.Morales
109. Heliconia montana Abalo & G.Morales
110. Heliconia monteverdensis G.S.Daniels & F.G.Stiles
111. Heliconia mooreana R.R.Sm.
112. Heliconia mucilagina Abalo & G.Morales
113. Heliconia mucronata Barreiros
114. Heliconia mutisiana Cuatrec.
115. Heliconia nariniensis Abalo & G.Morales
116. Heliconia necrobracteata W.J.Kress
117. Heliconia × nickeriensis Maas & de Rooij
118. Heliconia nigripraefixa Dodson & A.H.Gentry
119. Heliconia nitida Abalo & G.Morales
120. Heliconia nubigena L.Andersson
121. Heliconia nutans Woodson
122. Heliconia obscura Dodson & A.H.Gentry
123. Heliconia obscuroides L.Andersson
124. Heliconia oleosa Abalo & G.Morales
125. Heliconia orthotricha L.Andersson
126. Heliconia osaensis Cufod.
127. Heliconia paka A.C.Sm.
128. Heliconia paludigena Abalo & G.Morales
129. Heliconia papuana W.J.Kress
130. Heliconia pardoi Abalo & G.Morales
131. Heliconia pastazae L.Andersson
132. Heliconia peckenpaughii Abalo & G.Morales
133. Heliconia pendula Wawra
134. Heliconia penduloides Loes.
135. Heliconia peteriana Abalo & G.Morales
136. Heliconia × plagiotropa Abalo & G.Morales
137. Heliconia platystachys Baker
138. Heliconia pogonantha Cufod.
139. Heliconia pruinosa Loes.
140. Heliconia pseudoaemygdiana Emygdio & E.Santos
141. Heliconia psittacorum L.f.
142. Heliconia ramonensis G.S.Daniels & F.G.Stiles
143. Heliconia × rauliniana Barreiros
144. Heliconia regalis L.Andersson
145. Heliconia reptans Abalo & G.Morales
146. Heliconia reticulata (Griggs) H.J.P.Winkl.
147. Heliconia revoluta (Griggs) Standl.
148. Heliconia rhodantha Abalo & G.Morales
149. Heliconia richardiana Miq.
150. Heliconia rigida Abalo & G.Morales
151. Heliconia riopalenquensis Dodson & A.H.Gentry
152. Heliconia rivularis Emygdio & E.Santos
153. Heliconia robertoi Abalo & G.Morales
154. Heliconia robusta Pax
155. Heliconia rodriguensis Aristeg.
156. Heliconia rodriguezii F.G.Stiles
157. Heliconia rostrata Ruiz & Pav.
158. Heliconia samperiana W.J.Kress & Betancur
159. Heliconia sanctae-theresae Abalo & G.Morales
160. Heliconia santaremensis Barreiros
161. Heliconia sarapiquensis G.S.Daniels & F.G.Stiles
162. Heliconia scarlatina Abalo & G.Morales
163. Heliconia schiedeana Klotzsch
164. Heliconia schumanniana Loes.
165. Heliconia sclerotricha Abalo & G.Morales
166. Heliconia secunda R.R.Sm.
167. Heliconia sessilis W.J.Kress
168. Heliconia signa-hispanica Abalo & G.Morales
169. Heliconia solomonensis W.J.Kress
170. Heliconia spathocircinata Aristeg.
171. Heliconia spiralis Abalo & G.Morales
172. Heliconia spissa Griggs
173. Heliconia standleyi J.F.Macbr.
174. Heliconia stella-maris Abalo & G.Morales
175. Heliconia stilesii W.J.Kress
176. Heliconia stricta Huber
177. Heliconia subulata Ruiz & Pav.
178. Heliconia sucrei Barreiros
179. Heliconia tacarcunae L.Andersson
180. Heliconia talamancana G.S.Daniels & F.G.Stiles
181. Heliconia tandayapensis Abalo & G.Morales
182. Heliconia tenebrosa J.F.Macbr.
183. Heliconia terciopela W.J.Kress & Betancur
184. Heliconia thomasiana W.J.Kress
185. Heliconia timothei L.Andersson
186. Heliconia titanum W.J.Kress & Betancur
187. Heliconia tortuosa Griggs
188. Heliconia trichocarpa G.S.Daniels & F.G.Stiles
189. Heliconia triflora Barreiros
190. Heliconia umbrophila G.S.Daniels & F.G.Stiles
191. Heliconia uxpanapensis C.Gut.Báez
192. Heliconia vaginalis Benth.
193. Heliconia vellerigera Poepp.
194. Heliconia velutina L.Andersson
195. Heliconia venusta Abalo & G.Morales
196. Heliconia veracruzensis C.Gut.Báez
197. Heliconia villosa Klotzsch
198. Heliconia virginalis Abalo & G.Morales
199. Heliconia wagneriana Petersen
200. Heliconia willisiana Abalo & G.Morales
201. Heliconia wilsonii G.S.Daniels & F.G.Stiles
202. Heliconia xanthovillosa W.J.Kress
203. Heliconia zebrina Plowman, W.J.Kress & H.Kenn.

More Than Just a Pretty Face

But Heliconia are more than just beautiful plants. They play a vital role in their ecosystems. Their brightly colored bracts and sweet nectar attract hummingbirds, which are their primary pollinators. In turn, Heliconia provide food and shelter for a variety of other creatures, including insects, frogs, and even bats.  

I’ve spent countless hours observing these interactions in my own garden. It’s fascinating to watch a hummingbird hover near a Heliconia flower, its long beak perfectly adapted to reach the nectar deep inside. These intricate relationships highlight the interconnectedness of life in the rainforest.

Cultivating Heliconia

Over the years, I’ve learned a great deal about cultivating Heliconia. These plants thrive in warm, humid environments with plenty of sunlight and well-drained soil. They also require regular watering and fertilization to reach their full potential.  

One of the most rewarding aspects of growing Heliconia is propagating them. This can be done through division of the rhizomes or by planting seeds. It’s always exciting to see a new plant emerge from the soil, a testament to the resilience and beauty of nature.

Heliconia in Art and Culture

The striking beauty of Heliconia has not gone unnoticed by artists and designers. Their vibrant colors and unique forms have been incorporated into paintings, sculptures, and textiles throughout history. In many cultures, Heliconia holds symbolic meaning, often representing joy, abundance, and paradise.

I find myself constantly inspired by these plants. Their bold shapes and colors have influenced my own artistic endeavors, adding a touch of the tropics to my work.

A Continued Fascination

My journey with Heliconia is far from over. I continue to be fascinated by their diversity, their ecological importance, and their cultural significance. Whether I’m admiring a newly opened bloom in my garden or studying the intricate details of a Heliconia illustration, these plants always bring me a sense of wonder and appreciation for the natural world.

I encourage everyone to take some time to learn more about Heliconia. You might be surprised by the beauty and complexity that lies within this remarkable genus.