Xiphidium caeruleum

Native from central Mexico through tropical America, this rhizomatous perennial herb grows in forests, grasslands and scrub. Its glossy, narrow leaves are arranged in a fan, while small white flowers appear in clusters above the foliage. Bees collect its pollen by vibrating the flowers, a process called buzz pollination. The fleshy fruits ripen to shades of orange or red. It is also grown as an ornamental in tropical gardens and can spread from underground rhizomes. Photographed in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, and in Ecuador.