Daffodils are out.

It's official... daffodils are no longer my favorite flower.  Plantanillas, of the Heliconia species, are tops on my flower list. It is difficult to tell from the photo, but they are thick and heavy -- they almost seem to be made of plastic.

The bright colors are flags to attract pollinating birds. Hummingbirds love these flowers, which I have both read and seen with my own eyes. Tropical flowers amaze me and I stop in my path to look at them several times a day since this hotel is smack in the middle of a large jungley gardeny thing. It is gorgeous. 

Indigenous people use the thick leaves/pettles for wrapping food and thatching. Sure beats seran wrap. The boat shaped pettles apparently house insect larvae and can be home to mites, so this flower won't be making it home with me tonight.

I first saw these flowers in Honduras and it was love at first sight. However, they don't grow at the end of my driveway to celebrate spring, so maybe I will declare a tie with daffodils.