Name: Lobster claw

Botanical name:Heliconia rostrata

Description: One of the more controllable heliconias, the dwarf form of lobster claw has the right scale for small gardens while producing a classic pendant inflorescence in green, yellow and red. The bracts that conceal small flowers are so finely sculpted they are works of art. The Heliconia Society shows several forms of rostrata on its website, and it's worth going to www.heliconiasocietypr.org/heliconia_cultivars6.htm to take a look. Originally from Ecuador and Peru.

Height: 5 or 6 feet

Light: part shade and sun

Culture: Heliconias grow on rhizomes, and while they like moist soil, the rhizomes can rot if kept wet. I have them in an area of the yard that dips slightly, and I mulch them and use 8-2-12 palm special fertilizer. I also put compost on the area once a year, but do not dig up and separate the rhizomes as real die-hard heliconia lovers advise. When older plants turn brown and begin to list into the group, I prune them at the base.

The plants cease flowering in winter, and can suffer in windy cold fronts, but always return happily in warm and rainy weather.

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