Strelitzia Reginae seed Bird of Paradise
LATIN NAME: Strelitzia reginae
COMMON NAME: Bird of Paradise, Crane Flower
The bird of paradise is one of the most striking of all flowering plants, and its extraordinary, orange-and-blue blooms, like the head of a brilliant bird, are among the most famous flowers of the world. It grows as an evergreen, herbaceous perennial, reaching up to two metres, with large, glossy, paddle-shaped, grey-green leaves on long stalks and, through the warm season, the remarkable flowers, with their orange or orange-red, pointed, bird-like heads and their blue tongues, borne on long stalks above the leaves, followed by the capsules of many hard, black, aril-covered seeds. It is a species of the strelitzia family, native to the Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal of South Africa, and it is widely cultivated for its dramatic flowers, while in the temperate areas it is a popular and treasured houseplant.
The bird of paradise belongs to the strelitzia family, Strelitziaceae, and it is a species of flowering plant native to the Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal of South Africa. In English it is known as the bird of paradise, the crane flower, or the isigude in the Nguni language, and it is prized for its extraordinary, bird-like blooms.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The bird of paradise has a genuine and distinguished place in both horticultural and botanical research. It has been studied in horticulture, since it is one of the most famous and striking of the flowering plants, prized for its bird-like blooms, and researchers have examined its cultivation, its flowering and its value as a cut flower, while the long-lived, brilliant blooms of the bird of paradise have drawn attention in the international horticultural press as one of the most recognisable flowers of the tropics, and its use in the floristry and the gardens of the warm regions has been examined. The plant has also been studied in botany, since it is a member of the strelitzia family, a small and interesting family of the southern hemisphere, and researchers have examined its classification and its relationships, while the study of the family and its remarkable flowers has been of continuing interest, and the pollination of the flowers by the birds of the region has been examined. The species has also been studied in the cultivation science, since the hard, aril-covered seeds can be slow to sprout, and researchers have examined the treatment of the seeds and their germination. For a flower of such fame, the bird of paradise has a rich and distinguished record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the bird of paradise is a generous plant of the South African coast. Its remarkable flowers are pollinated by the sunbirds and the other birds of the region, and its large leaves give shelter, while it is a dramatic presence in the coastal scrub of its home.
Its economic value is enormous. It is one of the most famous of the cut flowers and the garden plants of the warm regions, and its bird-like blooms have drawn attention in the international horticultural and floristry press as a flower of unmatched drama, while it is also a treasured houseplant in the temperate world. For a grower, the bird of paradise is a rewarding and long-lived plant, and for a gardener it brings the most striking of blooms. The seeds are hard and need a little help — nick or file the hard coat, soak them in warm water for a day or two, then sow them in a pot of moist, free-draining compost in a warm, sunny spot, and they’ll sprout slowly, growing on, with patience, into a dramatic, bird-headed plant.
Bird of paradise is a spectacular accent plant and again really needs little introducion. With its banana-like foliage and its striking and singular blooms it is rightly a firm favourite as a landscaping feature or as a containerised accent plant indoors or out – handsome flowers aside, this is also a very attractive foliage plant. With its paddle-shaped leathery leaves to about 20 cm in length and 15 cm in width in clumps to a metre high, bird-of-paradise lends a romantic tropical tone to any landscape.
This is an easy to grow, very non-messy, low maintenance plant that is a good choice for use near pool and patio. It is grows quite quickly and is a great choice when you want tough, durable beauty for a new home landscape in warm areas. Used with care and imagination it can be a great addition to the minimalist style gardens that are so popular at present.
Strelitzias like enriched moisture-retentive soils and responds well to fertilizer – feed about once a month during the warm growing season to stimulate rapid growth. When plants attain the desired size you can withold fertilizer to slow growth and keep the plant in scale. Site it in full sun to part shade. Plant in full sun for the most flowers, in shade for fewer flowers but the best looking foliage – shifting shade is a good compromise. Water when dry but remember it does not like saturated conditions. This plant is reasonably hardy and it can handle brief periods of frost with no damage although leaf damage can occur at temperatures below -2C – unsightly, but rarely fatal. Propagation is easy from from seed but note that plants require many years of growth before they begin blooming.