Fire Bird Plant

Fire Bird is a named selection of Heliconia stricta with erect red bracts, green on the keel and lip, and a narrow maroon stripe between those colors. The Heliconia Society of Puerto Rico records six to seven bracts per inflorescence and a mature height of about 3–5 feet. [Its cultivar profile](https://www.heliconiasocietypr.org/fire_bird.html) traces the description to the Smithsonian’s *Heliconia: An Identification Guide*. ## Placement and care Grow Fire Bird where warmth, bright light, and moisture are dependable. Like other heliconias, it performs best in fertile, evenly moist soil and a sheltered tropical setting; [UF/IFAS](https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/heliconia/) notes that heliconias are frost-sensitive and need moist soil during active growth. The upright stems and vivid bracts suit a specimen planting or a warm conservatory, and the flowers can be used as cut stems. ## Seasonal display The cultivar’s red and green bracts stand above broad, banana-like leaves. A clump needs space for new rhizome shoots, although the cited cultivar description gives height rather than a reliable mature spread. Protect plants from cold, drying winds and allow adequate clearance around the leaves. ## Maintenance Keep soil evenly moist while the plant is growing and feed in the warm season. Cut spent flower stems and damaged foliage at ground level. Divide established rhizomes in warm weather if the clump outgrows its allotted space.