Strelitzia or Bird of Paradise (Crane Flower)

Common Name: Crane Flower

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Liliopsida

Order: Zingiberales

Family: Strelitziaceae

Genus: Strelitzia

Strelitzia, a flower known as Birds of Paradise or Crane flowers  is a flower found mostly in South Africa. It is called as the bird of paradise flower because of its resemblance to the Bird of Paradise. The flower is known as the Crane Flower in South Africa and it is also embedded on the reverse side of the 50 cent coin.

The plant has leaves that are similar to banana leaves and has long petioles. The length of these leaves is mostly 18 inches and the width around 6 inches. The plant is mostly 4 feet in height. Since these leaves are evergreen and are arranged in a very neat fan-like shape, they are very often used inside the household for decorative purposes.

The flower is bright orange or yellow in color and consists of three upright sepals which are orange in color and an equal number of petals which are blue in color. Two of these petals are joined to each other forming an arrowhead like structure while the third petal forms a nectary at the flower’s base.

These flowers are mounted on bracts that are highly colored modified leaves that are canoe like in shape and red, green or purple in color. Each bract has two or more flowers mounted on it.

How to grow:

1. This plant is grown in temperature that is above 50 F. Any temperature below this is not good for the plant’s growth. It requires sunlight and good amount of it.
2. It needs to be planted in soil rich in organic content and the plant needs moist soil. In winter or colder weather you need not keep the soil moist all the time.
3. A younger bird of paradise plant needs to be repotted every once in a while to make room for its roots.
4. If you are planting your bird of paradise using propagation, make sure that you plant the carefully cut stems in soil enriched with organic matter and do not water it a lot until a new plant blooms out of the cut out stem. Each division used for cultivating this flower should have a fan attached to itself.

Propagation:

A bird of paradise can be propagated using the seeds or by division. Growing the plant by division, keeps the plant’s life longer and also helps in growing more plants of the same kind for a longer time.

Uses:

Because of its unusually beautiful shape and exceptional flowers it is most commonly used as a landscape plant and also for ornamental purposes.

The Bird of paradise flower needs to be kept in vases in such a way that it doesn’t destroy the other flowers kept with it.

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