PlantFiles: Golden Lobster Claw, Expanded Lobster Claw
Heliconia latispatha

I found mine at the Midvalley Garden Center in Weslaco, Texas where they pretty much run wild. After three years I have a nice 5' by 8' clump of them. The Christmas snow of 2004 killed some of the leaves but they recovered nicely. They would like a lot more water than I give them.

Here in Sebring, FL, although officially zone 9b, I have a clump of this Heliconia about 12 feet in diameter and 8 feet tall. It is about 4 years old, and owes its existence to the mild winters of the last two years, which had no frosts or freezes. It flowered in July 2005 for the first time, with many inflorescences about 2 feet tall on 8 foot tall stalks! It is growing in mucky sand that has been saturated to the surface or with standing water continuously for at least the past 6 months. Pictures posted separately. I am keeping some offshoots potted in case this winter we have a freeze.

Not quite as showy as some heliconias, this one is still reasonably attractive. I saw this plant growing in Waimea Botanical Garden in Hawaii. It grows from 6-10 feet tall.