Below I will give you examples of some stunning popular tropical flowers.

Heliconia

Heliconia is a genus of roughly 150 flowering plant species native to tropical Americas and the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Perhaps you recognize common names such as lobster-claws, false bird-of-paradise and wild plantain?

Heliconia produces its flowers on long, erect or dropping panicles and all types can look stunning in wedding arrangements. The flower consists of coloured waxy bracts from which small flower peep out, it is usually the bracts we are referring to when we say flower..

Heliconia flowers do best if they allowed to tale centre stage. If you wish to use heliconias, make sure to give them the place in the limelight they deserve by not smouldering them in millions of other showy plants.

One of the main exporters of Heliconia is Costa Rica who sends heliconias to florists in Europe and North America year round.

Tropical orchids

Orchids are found all over the world but the greatest profusion of species is encountered in the tropics. The Cymbidium and Phalaenopsis genera are the most common in the trade but there are a lot of other options available and you should not hesitat to use less common alternatives such as Cattleya orchids.

Cymbidium orchids are quite easy to grow and that has caused them to become popular in bouquets as well as a potted plant. They might look sensetive but can survive several days in an arrangement without loosing its crisp beautiful look.

Calla lily

This is a classic but it is also a tropical flower so I will mention it here as it might be the most iconic of all wedding flowers. If you want to make a more personal statement, why don't combine the timeless calla lily with something more unexpected like ginger or tropical foliage? You can also choose non-white calla lilies, e.g. bright yellow, peach coloured or purplish black.

Tropical foliage
Tropical foliage is an excellent addition to tropical flowers as well as temperate species, depending on which effect your desire. An example of this is that palm and fern leaves make an ideal base for a wedding bouquet or centrepiece. Monstera deliciosa, also known as Mexican Breadfruit, is another alternative with its large and glossy, heart-shaped leaves. Monstera is a creeping vine native to the Central American rainforests.

Strelitzia
Strelitzia flowers are stunning additions to a wedding bouquet and an intereting piece of trivia about the genus is that it is namned after the duchy Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The flower is commonly known as Bird of paradise or parrot flower, the names is derived from the fact that the flowers look a little like a Bird of Paradise or a parrot. The genus contains five different species, all native to South Africa, and all five look truly stunning in floral arrangements. The flowers are very easy to identify due to their colors and the fact that they consist of a horizontal inflorescence that emerges from a stout spathe. In the wild, sunbirds will land on this spathe and sit on it while drinking nectar and Strelitzia flowers will therefore only release their pollen if their spathe is weighed down. The pollen than sticks to the feet of the birds who unknowingly transport pollen from flower to flower.

The leaves of the Strelitzia can be used to great affect in a bouquet or arrangement and is stunning when used in combination with the flowers.

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