Heliconia tortuosa Griggs is one of the most iconic heliconias. It grows in the rainforest understorey across Central America, from southern Mexico to Panama.

It is one of nearly 200 species of Heliconia worldwide, most native to tropical America, with a few in Southeast Asia. The plant produces upright, zigzagging flowering spikes, with curved yellow flowers cupped within bright red, boat-shaped bracts.

It is considered a ‘keystone’ species because over 10 hummingbird species depend on it as a major nectar source. Remarkably, it can distinguish between visiting hummingbird species, becoming reproductively active only after visits from the most effective pollinators.

The species is also cultivated in parks and gardens for its showy flowers and foliage. In the wild, it can be locally abundant in disturbed forests and secondary regrowth, but habitat degradation is thought to reduce genetic diversity and weaken its resilience to future environmental changes.