With the heleconia, you are getting a plant that includes between 100 to 200 species within in. This plant grows in the tropical parts of the Americas and also in places that are near the Pacific Ocean, this is the ideal growing environment for the heleconia and where it really thrives. This plant looks great, to some, it looks just like a bird of paradise, but it is in a different family. For other people, it looks like a lobster claw, hence all the names that it has. But, generally, you will get a plant with very large green leaves that produce a beautiful flower that is yellow, orange, or red. These flowers are what make it look like the bird of paradise and they are great flowers that a lot of people would love to have in their yards.