– Oh wait, that’s a line from a Bryan Adams song. Hmmm – wonder if I could get into trouble for using it? Well, Bryan, all I can say is if you’re out there reading this post, that was exactly how I felt when I was at the GWA Symposium in Indianapolis last week and laid eyes on the lobster claw heliconia that was in full bloom.
As many of you know, I am a tropical plant fanatic. In fact, one might wonder what I’m doing living in Indiana with its frigid winters. I guess the answer to that question is as much a mystery to you as it is to me.
If you’ve never seen a lobster claw heliconia in bloom, you don’t know what you are missing. I honestly can’t say that I’ve ever seen another plant that is so spectacular. The vivid colors of the bracts seem more like something you would see on a plastic flower instead of a real one, but believe me, the bracts – and the vivid colors – are very real.
In fact, a few years ago a dear friend in Puerto Rico shipped some banana flowers, gingers and heliconias to me for a garden club event. Everyone kept coming up to the table touching them unable to believe they were real. I guess those kinds of flowers aren’t something you see on a regular basis unless you live in a tropical climate.
Are you curious to see the bloom of the lobster claw for yourself so you can make your own decision? Well, about the best I can do is share one of the photos I took with you, so here goes – enjoy!