Beautiful, exotic and ever-so glamorous, we’re totally enamoured by the Heliconia plant. You will be too!

Like some people, some flowers are beautiful, unique and one-of-a-kind in their exclusivity. They can either enthral audiences by way of their unique beauty or draw people like bees to them based on the sheer heady perfume that they naturally seem to carry like a cloak at all times. Either ways, they ensure viewers are held in rapt attention when they so decide to flaunt their grandiose features.

Just as some people do, isn’t it?

Unique, in that it has no compare
Often referred to as lobster claw or the parrot flower, Heliconia is a beautiful, exotic looking flower that is known for its glamorous appearance. Quite a show stopper in gardens and treasured as a prominent component in stunning bouquets, the striking Heliconia flowers are popular everywhere not just for their magnificence but also for their longevity as they can live for many days on end, provided they’ve been cut the right way.

See them through our eyes
The world of flowers, plants and trees is indeed a delightful one to explore and while each such green creation is exclusive and individualistic in its own way, it is also true that these wonderful beings have been presented to mankind for a reason. So while some possess aromatic properties, some others are prized for their ornamental value and many others for their antibacterial merits. Some flower and fruit, while some are ambidextrous, in that they flower, bear fruit, make a pretty sight for sore eyes besides being a prominent source of health and comfort at all times.

In other words, each flora has something to give to us, each waiting for us to employ them for our benefit. The abundance of this wealth is evident at our beloved project Ananda Habitat at Oragadam and you will get to see for yourself the applied glory of these splendid beings here.
Ranging from Mahogany, Bottle brush, Neem, Cassia Fistula, Traveller Palm, Nagchampa and Heliconia besides a host of many other such valuable avenue/ aroma plantations, we’ve endeavoured to bring about a quiet, green change, in our own way. Do make your way to our Habitat and experience the beneficence for yourself!!

Know your flower
It may comes as quite a surprise to know that the longish claw looking shapes are actually not the flowers but in fact the bracts of the flowers (bracts are leaflike sections that are commonly seen at the bases of flowers). Quite a diversified species, the Heliconia plant has nearly 375 assorted ranges that are differentiated on the basis of their sizes, colours, shapes and even the droop of their flowers.

A tropical growing plant, the Heliconia is also called as the ‘Parrot Flower plant’ or the ‘false bird-of-paradise’, because of its close resemblance to the exotic bird-of-paradise flower, besides being known as the ‘wild plantain’ possibly on account of its growing habitats and its showy display of leaves and flowers.

Resplendent Heliconia rostrata
As mentioned before, the real flowers remain not entirely concealed within the colourful, large, pointy claws (bracts) that are waxy to the touch and which are most times the sources of pollination for some long-billed birds. The pretty flowers within come in a wide splash of brilliant reds, whites, greens and pinks interspersed with hues of orange and yellow. Standing upright or hanging low like a droplet, the Heliconia bracts either face skywards or droop down depending on the genus variety of the plant.
The leaves are distinct, in that they quite resemble the banana leaf being largish, oval and spread out or in some cases coiled. Green and quite a sight to behold in itself, the underside of the leaf shades from reddish purple to shades of red. Some varieties found in the jungles and wild habitats comprise of leaves that can be from as small as 15 cms to as large as 10 feet long. In fact the plant itself is known to grow from anything upto 1-1/2 feet to as tall as 30 feet high.

Prized for its gorgeous ornate appearance, the Heliconia flower is a favourite among florists and a preferred plant among gardeners as the cultivation and propagation is quite effortless given that its rhizomes can be easily proliferated aside from which there will be nice cycle of flowers through the life of the plant.