Family: Heliconiaceae

Origin, Description & Uses:
Heliconia stricta, commonly known as small lobster claw, ‘Dwarf Jamaican,’ or firebird heliconia, is a tropical plant native to the Americas, including parts of Central and South America. It features striking, upright inflorescences with bright red, orange, or yellow bracts that resemble small lobster claws, making it a popular choice for ornamental gardens and tropical landscaping. This compact heliconia variety is valued for its vibrant flowers, which attract hummingbirds and add dramatic color to garden beds and containers. It thrives in warm, humid climates and is often planted in Hawaii for decorative purposes.

Risks & Threats:
Heliconia stricta is naturalized on Oʻahu and possesses traits that are cause for concern. It spreads easily, can outcompete native plants, and may alter natural habitats, potentially impacting Hawaii’s delicate tropical island ecosystems. Its ability to thrive outside cultivation increases the risk of it becoming invasive in other areas. Gardeners in Hawaii are encouraged to consider low risk or native alternatives, or other non-invasive tropical plants, to help protect the islands’ unique ecosystems.

High Risk Traits:

• Thrives in tropical climates
  
• Naturalized on Oahu, Hawaiian Islands and Puerto Rico
  
• Potential weed of botanical garden (impacts unverified)
  
• Other Heliconia species have naturalized and may be invasive
  
• Host of several plant pathogens that would impact other ornamental Heliconia species
  
• Shade-tolerant (capable of establishing in forest understory)
  
• Large rhizomes (functionally a geophyte)
  
• Reproduces by seeds and vegetatively by rhizomes
  
• Seeds dispersed by birds and intentionally by people
  
• Seeds exhibit dormancy, may form a persistent seed bank (longevity unknown)
  
• Able to resprout from rhizomes after cutting or damage to pseudostem

Low Risk Traits:

• Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
  
• Non-toxic
  
• Ornamental
  
• Requires specialized pollinators (hummingbirds) which may limit seed set in areas lacking hummingbirds