One of my absolute favourite flowers

It is said to be the official flower of the ninth wedding anniversary (alongside the poppy), and may be of interest for those who have this date on the horizon, and I for one would welcome such a plant as a gift. Its scientific name is Strelitzia Reginae – a flowering queen of flora, named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, an amateur botanist, more famously known for being Queen consort and wife of King George III.

The flower symbolises – amongst other things - happiness, paradise and excitement. It also has the nickname Crane Flower, but perhaps the name Bird of Paradise sounds more exotic and appropriate, as they indeed do look like the birds they are named after, with a tufty yellow and blue head and an uncannily realistic beak.

A dramatic bloom

Although native to South Africa, conditions in Portugal are perfect for them, where they will grow well in full sun and even in coastal areas, tolerating both light salt spray and winds, and will flourish in either a crowded corner of a flowerbed or in a container on a terrace or patio. If potted, they just need enough space to grow outwards in width.

Care through the year

Keep the soil moist (but not soaking wet) from April to September, then gradually reduce watering in the autumn and winter, allowing the soil to dry out before watering again. They grow to a manageable height of 1.5m – 2m when mature, but be warned, a small one, newly planted, may take 5-6 years to bloom. The good news is they can be divided up in-ground every 5 years or so, giving you more plants, and grow from a rhizome, an underground stem. To take cuttings in the spring, just sever a piece of the rhizome with a clean sharp knife, ensuring each division has a leaf stem and roots attached, and plant into a good growing medium, leaving the ‘cut’ to heal for a few days before watering.

Splits that appear in the leaves are normal, as the plant will adapt against damaging winds by becoming aerodynamic’, thus preventing the leaves from becoming giant sails.

Flamboyant flowers

Another species, Strelitzia Juncea, has a similar bird-like flower, but with narrow reed-like stalks and is smaller, growing up to just over a metre or so, and is equally useful for container planting or as part of a landscape. They need minimal care too, just water when the topsoil becomes dry, and trim any dead leaves and blooms to the ground when necessary.

Another Strelitzia is Nicolai (more commonly known as the Giant Bird of Paradise) that has delicate looking flowers, but are more tree-like and grow to enormous heights, some 6 metres or so, and would be more at home as a landscaping feature. With the large blue and white flowers that grow in bracts one from another, they give a lovely double decker appearance.

A less common one is Strelitzia Alba (known as a Cape wild banana) with a white flower, being a tender multi-stemmed, evergreen perennial that forms a dense clump of long-stalked gray-green leaves up to 180cm long.

There is a further species, Strelitzia Caudata, which mainly grows in the wild, so if you ever visit the stunning mountains of southern Africa, keep your eye out for this one!

Pets beware

A word of warning to pet owners – all parts of these plant are toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Flower seeds contain toxic tannins and the leaves can contain hydrocyanic acid, so if you have a plant-chewer in the family, this might be a plant you should perhaps consider giving a miss. But if you can grow it, you will be well-rewarded by bringing an exotic and elegant touch to your garden or patio.

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