"Flowers are sent to do God's work in unrevealed paths, and to diffuse influence by channels that we hardly suspect."

- Henry Ward Beecher

About Bird of Paradise

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Bird of Paradise can be considered a unique and very exotic flower. Its outlook in a way startles and amazes us in the same time. It startles us, because of its unusual outlook; yet it amazes us, due to its very exotic and unusual appearance. I am sure that those persons, who see birds of paradise for the very first time, are very pleasantly surprised by this amazing flower. Its unusual yet very sophisticated outlook is bound to amaze and surprise us. We can hardly imagine a flower with this outlook, and it is precisely its beauty and exoticism that captures our eyes. I remember my very first encounter with bird of paradise. I was simply amazed by the unique and exquisite nature of this flower. A bunch of bird of paradise is always a lovely and amazing gift; a wonderful gift which will surely delight and charm our soul and senses. Birds of paradise are in way nature’s gifts to us! A gift which will surely be liked by everybody!

Moreover a gift that is bound to impress and delight everybody!

In what follows let us know more about this truly amazing flower. Bird of paradise belongs to Strelitziacea family. Moreover the plant can reach a height of 5 feet.

Its characteristics include the following: the plant is trunk less, compact, clustering and is growing with fleshy roots. The leathery resembles banana shape and it’s stiff having oblong, bluish-gray leaves with a pale or red midrib. The leaves are attached to a long stalk that can reach up to 2 feet in length.

(http://www.clemson.edu/charleston/local/bird/brdpards.htm)

The very name Bird of Paradise comes from its shape, which definitely sends our mind to the image of a bird’s beak and plumage.

Bird of Paradise is a long stemmed and amazing flower, having an impressive blossom. From these long stemmed flowers come the green boat-shaped bracts which are usually bordered in red or purple. The numerous pointed petals of brilliant orange are contrasted with an arrow-shaped tongue of vivid blue. Some species have white and blue.

(http://www.clemson.edu/charleston/local/bird/brdpards.htm)

            Talking about species, let’s take a look at them. Bird of paradise has many species, these are the following:

 

- Strelitzia alba (syn. S. augusta) - White bird of paradise

- Strelitzia caudata - Swaziland Strelitzia, African desert banana

- Strelitzia nicolai - White, or Giant bird of paradise; Wild banana

- Strelitzia reginae (syn. S. parvifolia) - Strelitzia, Bird of paradise, or Crane lily

- Strelitzia juncea (Ker Gawl.) - Greatly reduced or non-existent leaves

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strelitzia)

            If you decide to cultivate birds of paradise yourself, please keep in mind the following golden rules.

First of all, keep in mind that bird of paradise prefers full sunlight, moderate humidity and they are very keen on watering.

A thorough watering is often needed. When watering the plant, please make sure to wet the entire potting mix and allow it to dry out slightly before the next watering. It is also important to mention that birds of paradise have a very hard seed coat. Therefore prior to planting you should break the seed coat, in order to get the seeds. The soil must be also prepared before planting. Use equal parts of sand and potting soil to prepare the soil for the seeds. Their germination tends to be rather slow; the process can take up to 3 months.

As the plant grows, remember to move it to a larger pot.

I hope that following these simple rules, you will be very successful with growing birds of paradise. I am sure that they will represent a bright and lovely spot in your garden.

If you decide to eternalize these flowers, you can choose a method to dry them.

            Undoubtedly birds of paradise are the nicest and most exquisite flowers on this entire planet! A bunch of birds of paradise will definitely touch the very strings of your beloved’s heart.