Bird-of-Paradise Flower

The bird-of-paradise flower (Strelitzia reginae), or crane flower as it is sometimes known, is native to the southern and eastern parts of the Cape Province and northern Natal in South Africa, where it grows wild on river banks and in scrub clearings in coastal areas. It was first introduced into Britain in 1773 by Sir Joseph Banks, then the unofficial director of the Royal Gardens at Kew (as they were known at that time). He named the exotic-looking plant Strelitzia in honour of Queen Charlotte, wife of George III and Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who lived at Kew for many years.

Strelitzia reginae 'Kirstenbosch Gold'

What does the plant look like?

Reaching a height of 1.2 m, S. reginae consists of clumps of greyish-green leaves, with long stalks and broad oval blades, arising from an underground stem (rhizome). The plant gets its common name from the exotic appearance of its inflorescence (flowering head). Emerging from a horizontal green and pink boat-shaped bract (a leaf-like structure) in slow succession, the flowers look like the crest on a bird's head.

Each flower is made up of three upright orange sepals and three highly modified vivid blue petals. Two of the petals are joined together in a structure resembling an arrowhead with the third petal forming a nectary at the base of the flower. When a pollinator, usually a sunbird, lands on the arrowhead in search of nectar, the anthers are levered clear of the flower and deposit pollen on the breast of the bird. When the bird flies to another plant, this pollen is transferred to the stigma of the new flower. The resulting fruit is a leathery capsule containing numerous small seeds, each with an orange aril (an outgrowth from the seed similar to the red sheath around yew seeds) and an oil body, possibly to attract birds.

Growing requirements

In Britain, S. reginae cannot usually be grown outside as it needs a temperature of at least 10°C. During the winter, the plants should be kept almost dry but in summer they need plenty of water. A suitable compost can be made from one part loam, one and a half parts coir, one part grit and one part bark. The plants require regular feeding. Flowering occurs in spring and early summer and can be encouraged by keeping the plants slightly potbound. Hand-pollination is necessary to produce seed, but this seldom works. For germination and initial growth, the seeds need bottom heat of at least 21°C. Some new stocks of seed-raised plants can reach flowering size in two to three years, but individual specimens may take up to ten years. Due to the difficulty of producing seed, S. reginae is usually propagated by dividing the plants or using suckers produced at the base.

Where can bird-of-paradise flowers be seen at Kew? Strelitzia reginae is grown in the south block of the Temperate House (known as the Mexican House until 1977). It was the first plant to be replaced in the newly restored Temperate House in 1979. Also grown here are S. reginae (S. parvifolia) with small lanceolate leaf-blades (tapering at both ends); 'Kirstenbosch Gold', a superb yellow-flowered form, and S. juncea (S. reginae var. juncea), an interesting species with reed-like leaves from a limited area on the eastern Cape coast. The plants of 'Kirstenbosch Gold' were presented to Kew in 1991 by Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, the leading botanic garden in South Africa, and flowered for the first time in public in 1992. Since 1880, similar forms have made brief appearances in cultivation and 'Citrina' (var. citrina) flowered in the Mexican House in 1914. Other strelitzias in the same area include the 10 m tall S. nicolai, named after the Russian emperor Nicholas I, with its striking blue and white flowers. A native of the coastal regions of Natal and the eastern Cape Province, this species was first planted in this block when it opened in 1899 and was replaced with a new specimen when the House was restored. Also on display is the very rare S. alba ( S. augusta), from the south coast of Cape Province, with its showy white flowers. In 1909, S. x kewensis,a hybrid between S. reginae and S. alba, flowered at Kew for the first time, producing pale watery yellow flowers. Unfortunately it now seems to have disappeared from cultivation.

Strelitzia reginae

Additional sources of information

Beckett, K. A., 1987. The RHS Encyclopaedia of House Plants, Century Hutchinson
Dyer, R. A., 1975. The status of Strelitzia juncea. Bothalia 11 (4): 519-520
Everard, B. and Morley, B., 1970. Wild Flowers of the World, Peerage Books
Foster, R., 1983. The Gardener's Guide to Rare, Exotic and Difficult Plants, David and Charles
Heywood, V. H., 1978. Flowering Plants of the World, Oxford University Press
Moore, H. E., and Hyypio, P. A., 1970. Some comments on Strelitzia (Strelitziaceae). Baileya 17 (2): 64-74
Perry, F. and Greenwood, L., 1987. Flowers of the World, Spring Books
Van de Venter, H. A., Small, J. G. C., and Robertse, P. J., 1975. Notes on the distribution and comparative leaf morphology of the acaulescent species of Strelitzia Ait.. Journal of South African Botany 41 (1): 1-16

Sources of seed

B and T World Seeds, Whitnell House, Fiddington, Bridgewater, Somerset, TA5 1JE
D Rowland, 200 Spring Road, Kempston, Bedford, MK42 8ND
Chiltern Seeds, Bortree Stile, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 7PB
Thompson and Morgan (Ipswich) Ltd, London Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP2 0BA

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