This site contains Affiliate Links, which means that I may earn commissions through links you make purchases through. For more information Click Here!
Pink Flamingo Heliconia (Heliconia chartacea)
Heliconia chartacea is a herbaceous plant, with paired large oblong leaves like those of the banana. It can grow to 7–8 m in height, and plants can form large clumps with age. The flowering stems are pendulous. The bright pink color of the flower bracts is rare among heliconias, making it very easy to identify. The conspicuous pink part of the large and showy hanging inflorescences is actually the waxy bracts, (modified leaves), with the small green true flowers half-hidden inside. It has blue-black fruits that contain 3 very hard seeds, which are capable of extended dormancy in the soil.
Photo was taken in North Central Brazil. To learn more about the Heliconia chartacea check out these books:
Heliconia an Identification Guide
Heliconias of the World
