This paradise bird flower is the name given by people to Strelitzia because of its resemblence to some species of birds of paradise, a group of a family of avifauna, that live in tropical rainforest of New Guinea. In South Africa where the plant originates, it is called Crane Flower. As a matter of fact, this is a family of perennial flower plants that consist of five species:
- Strelitzia alba
- Strelitzia caudata
- Strelitzia nicolai
- Strelitzia reginae
- Strelitzia juncea
Fully bloomed Strelitzia reginae flower looks like a male Lesser Birds of Paradise that is performing courtship dance. It can be grown indoor but needs good amount of sunlight (but not too much to avoid burning) and has got big green leaves that look similar to small banana plants. The plant can grow to a height of 2 meters.
This bird of paradise flower plant can be grown in a pot. As the flower plant gets bigger, owner of the plant needs to replace the pot to a bigger one. It needs water but overwater will cause its roots to rot. To keep the bird of paradise healthy, regular cleaning of stem, leaves, and flowers from dust, insect, dirts, and spiderweb has to be carried out at least every two weeks.
This plant if planted outdoor cannot withstand cold winter. So, it needs to be covered or moved into a house or building where temperature is above 10 degrees Celcius.