The first version of the heliconia congress was held in July 1985 in Florida, USA.

In that first congress an attendance of approximately 50 people was expected, however there was the pleasant surprise of around 150 people present from all over the tropics. Those early speakers include legendary names in the heliconia community such as Gary Stiles, John Kress, Richard Criley, Iris Banochi, José Ábalo, and others.

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The purpose of the heliconia society is to spread the knowledge of heliconias (Heliconiaceae) and related plants of the order Zingiberales through education, research and communication mechanisms, for this reason this congress is held every two years, alternating between the western hemisphere , and the eastern hemisphere, for the version of this congress (XXI), there is the participation of an academic organization that HSI has not seen in many years. Showing off the scientific work carried out by the Zingiberales.

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The growing interest in heliconia botany and its cultivation is a determining factor for the association, since its mission is to centralize this information to be distributed. 

HSI is a US non-profit corporation, so everyone is welcome to participate and join, including volunteering!