Common name: Bird of paradise
Botanical name: Strelitzia reginae
The Bird of Paradise flower is a spectacular blossom. Long stemmed flowers emerge from green boat-shaped bracts which are bordered in red or purple. The numerous pointed petals of brilliant orange are contrasted with an arrow-shaped tongue of vivid blue. Some species have white and blue. The flowers have several “sets” of flowers in each bract which are formed on the end of a stalk. Beginning normally in the winter and spring the flowers will come out in succession over a period of time. In colder climates greenhouse grown plants can bloom intermittently all year round.