I just bought one at Home Depot a few weeks ago! Such an unusual flower. I've got it in a big pot, my other heliconias seem to do so much better in pots than in the ground. Does yours die back after a frost?

echobelly,

I had two patches, one out in the open and one under a very large crepe myrtle. After this winter's freezes, those in the open got burned down to the ground. Even though the crepe myrtle leaves were gone, those under it were largely unfazed. Those are the ones blooming now. I haven't done anything differently this year and have no idea why they finally decided to bloom. Yes, the flowers are unusual - and beautiful.

H. rostrata blooms on previous years growth (usually). If the stalk survived the winter, even if young, it will probably bloom. In Central Fl that is the issue with our cold snaps. Prior to 2008, mine bloomed reliably near a Tabebuia where it was protected, but the winters since then have been too cold. They grow beautifully. I am hopeful this year's crop will bloom as the stalks are well over 6' tall. They LOVE fertilizer! I mean love it! High nitrogen and lots of it.

Heliconia also seem to bloom better with sun. Perhaps yours bloomed this year due to the crepe myrtle's leaf loss letting in more light.

I've seen heliconia clumps getting beaten by intense sun bloom, while a nearby clump in part sun look great- deep green, etc but havent bloomed.

Here is a link that might be useful: Exotica Tropicals- Heliconia, etc in Florida