## Introduction Strelitzia reginae, commonly known as the crane flower, bird of paradise, or isigude in Nguni, is a species of flowering plant native to the Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. An evergreen perennial, it is widely cultivated for its dramatic flowers. In temperate areas it is a popular houseplant. A new subspecies was discovered growing alongside the Mzimvubu River in South African’s Eastern Cape in 2002. Strelitzia reginae subsp. mzimvubuensis has a shorter stigma and subtle differences of the leaves. The plant grows to 2 m (6+1⁄2 ft) tall, with large, strong leaves 25–70 cm (10–28 in) long and 10–30 cm (4–12 in) broad. The leaves are evergreen and arranged in two ranks, making a fan-shaped crown. The flowers, which emerge one at a time from the spathe, consist of three orange sepa. Strelitzia reginae has three purplish-blue or white petals. Two of the petals are joined together to form an arrow-like nectary. When the sunbirds sit to drink the nectar, the third petal opens to release the anther and cover their feet in pollen. It was first introduced to Britain in 1773, when it was grown at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It is a common ornamental plant in Southern California, and has been chosen as the official flower of City of Los Angeles. S. reginae has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. It is a low-maintenance plant that is easy to grow in the garden. If cared for well, they will flower several times in a year. They do well in full sun to semi-shade and respond well to regular feeding with a controlled release fertiliser and compost. They are sensitive to cold and need to be sheltered from frost, as it can damage the flowers and leaves. There is a yellow-flowered cultivar of this plant known as ‘Mandela's Gold’ Bird-of-paradise plants have an OPALS allergy scale rating of 1, and are considered "allergy-fighting"; they produce no airborne pollen. g. Summarize this as an engaging introduction about the plant: g. 'Mandela’s Gold' is the name of a cultivar in which the flowers are yellow and there is no pollen. ## Characteristics and Features Strelitzia reginae, commonly known as the crane flower, bird of paradise, or isigude in Nguni, is a species of flowering plant native to the Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. An evergreen perennial, it is widely cultivated for its dramatic flowers. In temperate areas it is a popular houseplant. A new subspecies was discovered growing alongside the Mzimvubu River in the Eastern Cape in 2002. Strelitzia reginae subsp. mzimvubuensis had a shorter stigma (10–15 millimetres (3⁄8–9⁄16 in) vs. 30 millimetre (1+3 in) The plant grows to 2 m (6+1⁄2 ft) tall, with large, strong leaves 25–70 cm (10-28 in) long. The leaves are evergreen and arranged in two ranks, making a fan-shaped crown. The flowers stand above the foliage at the tips of long stalks. Strelitzia reginae has three purplish-blue or white petals. Two of the petals are joined together to form an arrow-like nectary. When the sunbirds sit to drink the nectar, the third petal opens to release the anther and cover their feet in pollen. It was first introduced to Britain in 1773, when it was grown at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. In the United States, Florida and California are the main areas of cultivation, due to their warm climate. S. reginae has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. It is a low-maintenance plant that is easy to grow in the garden. If cared for well, they will flower several times in a year. They do well in full sun to semi-shade and respond well to regular feeding with a controlled release fertiliser and compost. They are sensitive to cold and need to be sheltered from frost, as it can damage the flowers and leaves. There is a yellow-flowered cultivar of this plant known as ‘Mandela's Gold’ Bird-of-paradise plants have an OPALS allergy scale rating of 1, and are considered "allergy-fighting"; they produce no airborne pollen. g. Extract key characteristics and unique features from: g. Allergenicity: 1, with a 1 on the OPALS allergic scale, and a 0 on the sensitivity scale. h. The plant has a high level of vigor and a low level of toxicity. ## Benefits and Cultural Significance Strelitzia reginae, commonly known as the crane flower, bird of paradise, or isigude in Nguni, is a species of flowering plant native to the Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. An evergreen perennial, it is widely cultivated for its dramatic flowers. In temperate areas it is a popular houseplant. A new subspecies was discovered growing alongside the Mzimvubu River in the Eastern Cape in 2002. Strelitzia reginae subsp. mzimvubuensis had a shorter stigma (10–15 millimetres (3⁄8–9⁄16 in) vs. 30 millimetre (1+3″ in) The plant grows to 2 m (6+1⁄2 ft) tall, with large, strong leaves 25–70 cm (10-28 in) long. The leaves are evergreen and arranged in two ranks, making a fan-shaped crown. The flowers stand above the foliage at the tips of long stalks. Strelitzia reginae has three purplish-blue or white petals. Two of the petals are joined together to form an arrow-like nectary. When the sunbirds sit to drink the nectar, the third petal opens to release the anther and cover their feet in pollen. It was first introduced to Britain in 1773, when it was grown at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. In the United States, Florida and California are the main areas of cultivation, due to their warm climate. S. reginae has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. It is a low-maintenance plant that is easy to grow in the garden. If cared for well, they will flower several times in a year. They thrive in rich loamy soil, especially when they get plenty of water. They do well in full sun to semi-shade and respond well to regular feeding. They are sensitive to cold and need to be sheltered from frost, as it can damage the flowers. There is a yellow-flowered cultivar of this plant known as ‘Mandela's Gold’ Bird-of-paradise plants have an OPALS allergy scale rating of 1, and are considered "allergy-fighting"; they produce no airborne pollen. List benefits, uses, and cultural significance from: g. g. list of benefits and uses of the bird of paradise. List of uses, uses andcultural significance of the Bird of Paradise plant from g.g. ## Growing Guide and Care Tips Strelitzia reginae, commonly known as the crane flower, bird of paradise, or isigude in Nguni, is a species of flowering plant native to the Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. An evergreen perennial, it is widely cultivated for its dramatic flowers. In temperate areas it is a popular houseplant. A new subspecies was discovered growing alongside the Mzimvubu River in the Eastern Cape in 2002. Strelitzia reginae subsp. mzimvubuensis had a shorter stigma (10–15 millimetres (3⁄8–9⁄16 in) vs. 30 millimetre (1+3⁢16 in)) and subtle differences of the leaves. It is possibly a mutation that is in the process of speciating. The plant grows to 2 m (6+1⁄2 ft) tall with large, strong leaves 25–70 cm (10-28 in) long and 10–30 cm (4–12 in) broad. Strelitzia reginae has three purplish-blue or white petals. Two of the petals are joined together to form an arrow-like nectary. When the sunbirds sit to drink the nectar, the third petal opens to release the anther and cover their feet in pollen. It was first introduced to Britain in 1773, when it was grown at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. In the United States, Florida and California are the main areas of cultivation, due to their warm climate. S. reginae has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. It is a low-maintenance plant that is easy to grow in the garden. If cared for well, they will flower several times in a year. They do well in full sun to semi-shade and respond well to regular feeding with a controlled release fertiliser and compost. They are sensitive to cold and need to be sheltered from frost, as it can damage the flowers and leaves. Bird-of-paradise plants have an OPALS allergy scale rating of 1, and are considered "allergy-fighting"; they produce no airborne pollen. There is a yellow-flowered cultivar of this plant known as ‘Mandela's Gold’. Extract growing conditions and care requirements from: g.co.uk/plant-growing-conditions-and-care-requirements-g.co-uk/plants-growing conditions-and care-requirement-g-plants. ### Why You Should Consider This Plant - Unique aesthetic appeal and conversation starter - Connection to South African heritage and culture - Potential for both indoor and outdoor cultivation - Contribution to biodiversity and native plant preservation ### Key Considerations - Climate requirements and local growing conditions - Space needs and growth patterns - Initial setup and ongoing maintenance - Seasonal care requirements ## Sources and Further Reading - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strelitzia_reginae