The hanging heliconia can be found in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua. It grows in open spaces in the humid forests and along the water streams, at low and medium altitudes. It blooms anywhere from July to November, and its leaves and flowers are covered in a wax coating that acts as a natural defense against insects. It grows best at heights above 10 feet and is normally 6 to 8 feet tall. Although it looks like a flower, the hanging heliconia is actually a bract, which is a small leaf or scale with a flower in the center.