Heliconia venusta

Native to Colombia and Ecuador, this perennial herb grows from underground rhizomes in humid Andean forests, often near streams. Its light green leaves have a reddish midrib underneath and can reach about thirty inches long. Upright flower clusters carry long-pointed red bracts in two rows, each sheltering several yellow flowers. In Colombia, it grows at about 4,300 to 7,550 feet. Photographed in the department of Quindío, Colombia.