Heliconia psittacorum

Native from Panama to southern tropical America, this plant is a perennial herb that forms dense clumps from underground rhizomes. It typically reaches about three to five feet tall. Its upright flower clusters carry narrow, pointed bracts in orange, red, pink or lilac shades. The tubular flowers have conspicuous dark green markings near their tips. Small fruits turn glossy dark blue when ripe. Widely cultivated as a tropical ornamental, the species has also become established outside its native range. Photographed in Pereira, Colombia.