Heliconia psittacorum L.f., Heliconiaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk; score: 11 (Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment for Heliconia psittacorum)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: parrot's beak heliconia, parrot's-flower, parrot's-plantain

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Slender plant with banana-like habit, 3-6' tall. Infl erect, 3-7" high; bracts 4-6, slender, 2-ranked, oblique to rachis, base pale green, yellow, or cream shading into pink or red distally, glabrous, base usu with waxy coating. Flw perianth straight, 1.2-2" long, yellow or orange with dark green 'eyespots' distally, tip white, glabrous; ovary green to yellow-green, glabrous. Frt blue." (a tropical garden flora, p. 665)

Habitat/ecology:  "[Heliconia psittacorum] tolerates lower humidity than other heliconias and, if watered well, thrives in full sun on the hot, leeward sides of our [Hawaiian] islands." (a tropical garden flora, p. 665)

Propagation:  In cultivation: "Generally by rood division, but may be grown from seed." (Tropical Exotics, p. 160)

Native range:  northeastern South America and the Lesser Antilles (a tropical garden flora, p. 665)

Impacts and invaded habitats:  (no invaded habitats or impacts known by PIER; please let us know if you know of such information we should add here)

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Tinian Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawaiian Islands	introduced cultivated	Clay, Horace F./Hubbard, James C (1977) (p. 160) "It was introduced to Hawai'i from Puerto Rico in 1950 by robert and John Gregg Allerton of L&amacron;awa'i, Kaua'i."
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced cultivated	Clay, Horace F./Hubbard, James C (1977) (p. 160)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Ka‘ula Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Consortium of Pacific Herbaria (2018)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Indonesia Indonesia	Java	introduced cultivated	Serenity (Wikimedia Commons username) (2007) accessed 20180615, photo taken in Ragunan Zoo, Jakarta, Indonesia

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
La Réunion (France) La Réunion Island	La Réunion Island		Caro, Thierry (2004) accessed 20180615
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Caribbean Islands Caribbean Islands	Puerto Rico		Clay, Horace F./Hubbard, James C (1977) (p. 160)

Comments:  "It [Heliconia psittacorum] was introduced to Hawai'i from Puerto Rico in 1950 by Robert and John Gregg Allerton of L&amacron;wai'i, Kaua'i." (Tropical Exotics, p. 160)

Present in Hawaii (Alien plant invasions in native ecosystems in Hawaii, p. 207; A Tropical Garden Flora, p. 665); on Midway Atoll Midway Atoll Vascular Plant Checklist, p. 13).

Control:  If you know of control methods for Heliconia psittacorum, please let us know.