Beefsteak Heliconia

Description:

A large Heliconia species that will grow 15' to 20' ( 4.50m to 6.0m ) high in full sun to half shade. Inflorescence carrying 40 to 65 red bracts. Heliconia, is a genus of about 100 to 200 species of flowering plants.

Habitat:

Blooming throughout the year. Many species of Heliconia are found in rainforests or tropical wet forests of the Americas and the Pacific Ocean islands west to Indonesia

Notes:

Many bats use Heliconia leaves for shelter. The Honduran White Bat, Ectohylla alba, utilizes 5 different species of Heliconia to make diurnal tent shaped roosts. The bat cuts the side veins of the leaf extending from the midrib causing the leaf to fold like a tent. This structure provides the bat with shelter from rain, sun, and predators. In addition, the stems of the Heliconia leaves are not strong enough to carry the weight of typical bat predators, so shaking of the leaf alerts roosting bats to presence of predators