Heliconia aurantiaca

Golden Heliconia - excellent cut flowers, resembling Bird of Paradise in yellow to orange! Endemic to Central America - south Mexico and Guatemala. Its natural habitat is montane forests. Tropical, evergreen perennial with short rhizomes and smooth, leathery, 7 to 16 inch long, oblong leaves. The plant is a smaller species (4 - 5 ft) with a compact, relatively small, erect inflorescence. Unusual, 8 inch long inflorescences, resembling birds of paradise, hold light yellow to orange sepaled flowers. Borne from spring through summer. Cold-sensitive and requires a minimum temperature of 40 F. This species does not tolerate heavy clearing and disturbance.

Similar plants:

• Heliconia angusta (Christmas Heliconia)
• Heliconia angusta Christmas Holiday, Heliconia vaginalis (Christmas Holiday)
• Heliconia bihai, Bihai bihai, Heliconia humilis (Macaw Flower)
• Heliconia caribaea (Lobster Claw, Parrot Beak)
• Heliconia collinsiana, Bihai collinsiana (Hanging Heliconia, Platanillo)
• Heliconia hirsuta (Heliconia Costa Flores)
• Heliconia latispatha (Expanded Lobsterclaw)
• Heliconia orthotricha (Heliconia, Lobster claw)
• Heliconia psittacorum, Bihai psittacorum (Parrot's heliconia, Heliconia, Parakeet Flower)
• Heliconia rostrata, Bihai rostrata (Lobster Claw, Parrot's beak)