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Costus scaber is native to Central and South America, where it grows in humid tropical forests from southern Mexico into northern South America. This perennial species forms upright stems that can reach 6 to 10 feet in height, lined with spirally arranged leaves. The inflorescences are dense, cone-like structures composed of overlapping red bracts. From these bracts emerge the tubular orange to reddish-orange flowers, which are narrow and elongated with a flaring tip. Individual flowers are short-lived, but the succession of blooms from each cone allows the plant to flower over an extended period. The species has been cultivated ornamentally in tropical gardens. Photographed in Panama.