Interesting facts about birds of paradise flower

bird of paradise flower

Bird of paradise flower is a beautiful and unique flower.

They are also called the crane flower because it has a shape of a crane.

There are 5 species of bird of paradise flower.

All species are native to southern Africa.

An evergreen perennial, it is widely cultivated for its dramatic flowers.

Birds of Paradise bloom from September through May.

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The species S. nicolai is the largest in the genus, reaching 10 meters (33 feet) tall, S. caudata which is a tree of a typically smaller size than S. nicolai it reaches about 6 meters (20 feet) tall; the other three species typically reach 2 to 3.5 meters (6.6 to 11.5 feet) tall.

The leaves are large from 30 to 200 centimeters (12 to 79 inches) long and from 10 to 80 centimeters (4 to 31 inches) broad, similar to a banana leaf in appearance but with a longer petiole, and arranged strictly in two ranks to form a fan-like crown of evergreen foliage.

Its large colorful blossom resembles an exotic bird hence the name.

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Although birds of paradise are best known for their bright orange and blue colors, their flowers can also be white and blue and completely white.

They are pollinated by sunbirds, which use the spathe as a perch when visiting the flowers. The weight of the bird when standing on the spathe opens it to release the pollen onto the bird’s feet, which is then deposited on the next flower it visits. Strelitzia lack natural insect pollinators; in areas without sunbirds, plants in this genus generally need hand pollination in order to successfully set seed.

This plant is commonly grown as an ornamental. They were first discovered in 1773 in gardens of Europe after which it started to become more known to the world. Because the plant grows in sunny and warm areas the plant is mostly in America and Australia because these places are known to have warm places to grow them.

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This plant is very sensitive to the cold weather and when in the cold they must be indoors.

Most of these flowers grown in the United States originate from Los Angeles, California.

The bird of paradise is known as the ultimate symbol of paradise and freedom. Due to its tropical nature, this flower also symbolizes freedom and joy.

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Other meanings include:
The bird of paradise represents faithfulness, love, and thoughtfulness — making it the perfect romantic gift.
In Hawaii, the bird of paradise grows wild and is a significant part of the culture. In Hawaiian, the name means “Little Globe” and represents magnificence.
The bird of paradise is the official flower for a ninth wedding anniversary.
Birds of paradise also represent having a good perspective on life.

This beautiful flower is actually quite similar to the banana plant.

In South Africa this flower is featured on the reverse of the 50 cent coin.

Bird of paradise is the floral emblem of the City of Los Angeles.