Heliconia

I have updated the species information for you.

Thanks a lot!

Cheers!

I agree... I was just going on what might be native and also on what a lot of photos had shown... that H. bihai may also be seen hanging. I don't know enough to say that the photos identified as H. bihai aren't that species or that the photo is of an ornamental. After looking at the website you suggested, I do agree though. Cheers

Hi guys,
Chris sorry for the difference of opinion. I am pretty sure this a rostrata for one main reason. The h. bihais are all erect heliconia. There isn't one h. bihai that is pendant. I live in Costa Rica and I can tell you that there are many more varieties of heliconia than are indiginous to the area. The rostrata grows from 3 to 20 feet, originally from Amazonian Peru and Ecuador (now widely cultivated), and has 4 to 35 bracts which sometimes become spiral. The shape of the bihai and the rostrata are very similar - classic heliconia, however one points up and the other down. Check the link I posted with the suggestion for the Heliconia Society of Puerto Rico. It is one of the most complete of all of them online. I personally use the Berry and Kress heliconia I.D. guide

Some references show H. bihai as a standing flower, some as a hanging flower which would look like this. The most similar species I can find is Heliconia rostrata, but that is only native to Central America... which doesn't necessarily rule it out as an ornamental or invasive.