Lobster Claw

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Lobster Claw

Heliconia rostrata

• Common Name: Lobster Claw (other common names: Parrot’s Beak, False Bird of Paradise, Hanging Claw, Heliconia Species, Crab Claws, Hanging Lobster Claws)
  
• Scientific Name: Heliconia rostrata
  
• Family Name: Heliconiaceae
  
• Origin: Central and South America
  
• Height: 36” – 15’
  
• Width: 3’ - 4’
  
• Growth: fast growing and spread aggressively
  
• Zone: 9B - 11
  
• Light Needs: Full sun – partial/dappled shade
  
• Salt Tolerance:  none
  
• Soil/PH/Texture: soil must be well draining, fertile and moist, slightly acidic – neutral (pH 6.1 – 7.3)
  
• Soil Moisture: Mesic - Do not let it dry out, it requires consistently moist soil.
  
• Drought Tolerance: moderately tolerant but for best results keep the soil consistently moist
  
• Pests/Diseases: Besides fungal diseases and soil pathogens they are mostly resilient to pests and diseases.
  
• Growing Conditions: Easy to grow, low maintenance, they will need fertilizing in spring for best results in flowering and every two months until fall.
  
• Characteristics: the foliage of this plant is Chartreuse/yellow, red, and silver/gray, glossy, oval and paddle shaped. The blooms are covered by very showy bracts, arranged in terminal racemes, ranging from pink, red, orange, yellow to yellow/green and appear mid spring – early fall, and in warmer climates they can bloom year-round.
  
• Propagation: by dividing tubers, bulbs, corms, or rhizomes.
  
• Wildlife: attracts bees, birds, and butterflies
  
• Facts: It is the national flower of Bolivia.
  
• Designer Considerations: excellent for cut flowers in a floral arrangement with a long vase life, growing in containers, as accent plants, borders, and along foundations.
  

Location

Butterfly Garden