Heliconia burleana

Native from Colombia to northern Peru, this perennial herb grows from underground rhizomes in wet tropical habitats. In Colombia, it occurs from about 1,150 to 8,500 feet. Its upright flower clusters carry narrow, wine-red bracts, with small, curved green flowers projecting above them. The flowers supply nectar to hummingbirds. It is cultivated as an ornamental. Photographed in the eastern Andes mountain range of Colombia.