These central American plants are not native to North America. They are
members of the ginger family. There are many cultivated varieties.
Plants: Up to 9′ (2.7 m) tall.
Stems are spiral-shaped.
Leaves: Oval, with pointed tips, dark green and glossy above, fuzzy beneath. about 4-20″ (10-50 cm) long.
Flowers: Flowers consist of
a brilliant red egg-shaped set of bracts (modified leaves), with bright yellow tubular flowers
poking out. The red flowerheads are 7-13″ (17-33 cm) tall. They flower from April to November.
Edibility: Yellow flowerheads are edible and lemony-tasting.
The red portion is not though—it is composed of specialized leaves.