This is the Heliconia Chartacea (or Heliconia Platystachys). This breathtakingly beautiful Heliconia strain hangs down. She is very similar to the - also hanging - Heliconia Rostrata. However, the so-called calyxes or flower segments in this species are colored pink instead of red and do not connect directly to each other. The Heliconia Chartacea can grow up to two meters.
To me, Heliconias are one of the most fascinating flowers in tropical nature. Unlike many non-tropical flowers - which usually consist of a flower core surrounded by fragile petals - these large and powerful Heliconias radiate something majestic with their intense colors. You will never forget your first Heliconia.
Many dozens of Heliconia species can be found in tropical nature. The flowers can grow quite large to reach a length between 0.5 and 4.5 meters - depending on the species. Roughly speaking, there are different hanging and standing species. The beautiful green leaves can also reach large sizes and look a lot like the leaves of the banana plant.
Most Heliconia species are not fertilized by insects but by a bird: the hummingbird. The sweet nectar has a lot of nutritional value for the hummingbird, which it certainly needs given the energy-intensive way in which it flies. There are even hummingbird species whose beak has completely adapted to one species of Heliconia.
Art, color and inspiration from the tropical rainforests. That is what has been my motivation behind every photo. All my work was photographed on the spot in the jungles of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador during a seven-year stay. The photos are the best possible representation of the.. Read more…