Bird of Paradise

Most plants grow on me slowly. I look at a few and say, “That’s for me!” That is the way I felt about bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia reginae). Given the conditions it likes, the bird of paradise grows rapidly, the shiny banana-like leaves spreading out like a fan. Ten to 12 leaves develop before a bloom appears, … Read more

No flower I grow, not even orchids, calls forth the superlatives that my bird-of-paradise (Strelitzia reginae) does when it blooms. “Exotic!” “Beautiful!” say my garden guests. One, putting forth thumb and forefinger to feel the bloom said, “I see and do not believe.” These strange flowers are borne on a stalk that rises above the … Read more