Lobster-Claw or False Bird-of-Paradise
Heliconia bihai (formerly Heliconia humilis) (HELICONIACEAE)
Planting and Growing Lobster-Claw
You’ll find everything you need to know to plant and grow lobster-claw or false bird-of-paradise in the accompanying table’s tabs:
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- Flowers, foliage, and root structure of lobster-claw or false bird-of-paradise
- Season of bloom and planting time for lobster-claw or false bird-of-paradise
- Plant hardiness and growing conditions for lobster-claw or false bird-of-paradise
- When, how deep, and where to plant lobster-claw or false bird-of-paradise
- How to plant lobster-claw or false bird-of-paradise
- Watering, fertilizing, care and pests or diseases of lobster-claw or false bird-of-paradise
- Landscape and indoor uses of lobster-claw or false bird-of-paradise
- Comments about lobster-claw or false bird-of-paradise and its features
Growing Lobster-Claw
Summer rhizome. Evergreen. Stands to 4 ft. (1.2 m) tall. Spoonlike, long, mid- to deep green leaves.
Closely related species with similar care needs include red Christmas heliconia, Heliconia angusta (syn.: Heliconia brasiliensis); parrot’s beak, Heliconia psittacorum; hanging lobster claw, Heliconia rostrata; fire-and-ice, Heliconia schiedeana; and rainbow heliconia, Heliconia wagnerana.
Lobster-Claw Planting and Care Guide
Flowers
Summer–autumn. Orange, red, yellow. Multiple lobster-claw-like flowers, 5–10 in. (13–25 cm) long, in tiers vertically atop stalk.
Best Climates
U.S.D.A. Plant Hardiness Zones 10–11; ground hardy, zones 10–11.
Soil Type and Fertility
Moist, well-drained, sandy loam. Fertility: Rich. 6.0–6.5 pH.
Where and How to Plant
Spring–autumn in partial shade. Space 3 ft. (90 cm) apart, as deep as the soil level in the nursery container.
Proper Care
Moderate. Keep moist spring–autumn. Fertilize monthly during growth. Protect from wind. Propagate by division.
Lifting and Storing
In-ground. Maintain year-round.
About This Species
Good choice for accents, borders, bouquets, containers in tropical gardens and greenhouses. Good for cutting. Pest and disease resistant.