Do you fear Heliconia Latispatha ?

I wasn't much of a TV watcher growing up.

In the 1960's when most of my friends watched Felix the Cat, The Flintstones or Bugs Bunny I was happily playing some make believe game or reading a book. 

But that all came to a halt for 2 hours on Saturday afternoon when I raced to the den, closed the curtains, shut the door and grabbed a pillow as I scrunched into the sofa to be terrified by CHILLER THEATER. As the name implies it sent chills up my 6 year old spine as more and more of the pillow covered my face.

  Needless to say while most children were afraid of the dark or the Wicked Witch of the West I lived in terror of the Crawling Hand under my bed, the Blob oozing up from the plumbing or the 30 foot eyeball staring at me outside the window. 

    And thats when I developed my fear of Heliconia Latispatha. 

    The producer of the 1956 INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS had the wrong alien plant. 

    It was this one!

    This creepy, gnarly, flamed colored flowering plant flanked the walkway to my front door. I always looked over my shoulder while passing. I felt its bird like head watching, waiting for me to let my guard down and blow spores into my face - making me forget I was human.