Bird of Paradise, Crane Flower

Thu, Apr 10, 2008

Exotic

Bird of Paradise, Crane Flower - Strelitzia reginae
Latin name:
Strelitzia reginae

Description: This must be one of the best known plants in the world, so why not try one in your garden! It is an evergreen, clump-forming perennial with long stalked, tough, leathery, blue-green leaves. The large beak-like flowers have three brilliant orange sepals and three vivid purple-blue petals in boat-shaped red-edged bracts from winter to spring. For the rest of the year it is a glorious and very tropical looking foliage plant.

Hardiness:
Will take a few degrees of frost, for very short periods only, hence is excellent in warmer cities like London, especially if planted in a favourable location that is protected from desiccating winds. Otherwise, enjoy it flowering in your house/conservatory during the winter months, and then give it a holiday outside for the summer.

Height:
1-1.5m

Position:
Full sun

Soil: Well drained gritty poorish soil preferred. In containers, they are best left to get pot bound for the best flowers. Given lots of food they won’t flower

Water: Tolerates drought well and will get enough water from summer rains

Usage: In a position that shows off its colour and architectural shape for best effect

This post was written by:

- who has written 872 posts on My Climate Change Garden.

I am not an experienced gardener - more of an enthusiastic amateur who learns by trial and error and who is keen to "manage" the effects of shifting weather patterns on my garden. Writing this blog is my passion and it has evolved over 12 years to inspire engagement with climate change outside our back doors, in our personal gardens and green spaces. My mission is to fertilise and expand this platform to grow a community of global gardeners communicating about the effects of climate change on our plants and exploring how each individual can make small changes in our lives to become more sustainable. The future of our gardens and #OurPlanet is in our hands - please plant your own seeds for our collective sustainable future.

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