The Exotic Birds of Paradise

The unusually beautiful shape and brilliant colors of Birds of Paradise have made these flowers not just a designer's favorite, but also a popular symbol of paradise.

One of the most colorful exotic flowers in the world, the Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia), also known as Crane flowers got its name from its spectacular flower shape which resembles a brightly colored bird in flight. Birds of Paradise are native to South Africa. The plant usually reaches a height of 1.5 meters (5 feet.)

The plant's foliage resembles small banana leaves with long petioles. The boat-shaped bracts, or modified leaves, ares green with red borders and are arranged strictly in two ranks to form a fan-like crown of evergreen foliage. The leaf blades are 15.5 cm (6 inches) wide and 45.72 cm (18 inches long.) Flower have two erect, pointed petals and five stamens. The Birds of Paradise bloom from September through May. The genus Strelitzia contains five species namely:

Strelitzia reginae

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Strelitzia reginae is a tufted, evergreen, stemless perennial herb indigenous to South Africa. The plant can reach 2 meters (6.6 ft) tall, with large, strong leaves 25–70 cm (9.8–27.6 in) long arranged in two ranks, making a fan-shaped crown. The inflorescence stalk is 700 mm tall bearing 4-6 orange sepals and blue/purple petals flowers.

White Bird of Paradise

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White Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia alba) is the rarest of three large banana-like Strelitzia species occurring in southern Africa. This frost-sensitive, clump-forming perennial Bird of Paradise plant can reach 10 meters (32. 8 feet) tall, with leaves measuring 2 meters (6.5 feet) by 0.6 meters (1.96 feet.) As the name suggests, the flowers are completely white less the blue color found in other species. The 30 cm (0.9 ft (11.81 in) long boat-shaped bract encloses from five to ten flowers which appear in sequence.

Mountain Strelitzia

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Mountain Strelitzia (Strelitzia caudata), another banana-like Strelitzia species is widespread in southern Africa. The plant is unbranched and multi-stemmed, measuring up to 6 meters (19.6 feet) tall. The flowering part of the plant consists of a single purplish, boat-shaped spathe bearing several flowers.

Giant White Bird of Paradise

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Giant White Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia nicolai) are banana-like plants with erect woody stems reaching a height of 6 meters (20 feet) and the clumps formed can spread as far as 3.5 meters (11 feet). The 1.8 meters (5 feet 11 in) long leaves are gray-green and arranged in fans atop the trunks. The flowers have white sepals with blue petals and consist of five purplish blue, boat-shape sheaths. The entire flower can be as much as 18 cm (7.1 in) high by 45 cm (18 in) long.

Rush-leaved Strelitzia or Narrow-leaved Bird of Paradise

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Rush-leaved Strelitzia or Narrow-leaved Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia juncea) is a striking Bird of Paradise species with upright cylindrical leaves without a leaf blade. The plant can reach 1 to2 meters (3.2 to 6.56 ft) in height and producing large orange or yellow flowers. The inflorescence consists of a boat-shaped spathe bearing five flowers on average. The plant is instantly recognizable for its narrow, reed-like leaves.

The Anniversary Flowers – Part One

Perfect flowers that match your wedding anniversary celebrations.

Flowers are one of the most popular anniversary gifts. Romantics like to give bouquet of fresh flowers on their wedding anniversaries. Here is a listing of the flowers often associated with the 1st through 10th wedding anniversaries.

Pansy – First Wedding Anniversary

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The pansy belongs to a large group of hybrid, half-hardy plants growing up to 23 cm tall. The pansy flower is about 6 cm in diameter, but some cultivars produce smaller or larger blooms. Many pansies come in an array of vibrant colors. Though several varieties produce bi-colored flowers, pansies come in a wide range of flower colors such as yellow, blue, red, white, pink, gold, orange, violet, lavender, and even black (very dark purple).

Cosmos - Second Wedding Anniversary

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Cosmos are annual and perennial plants of about 26 species in the family Asteraceae. This plant is native to Mexico and South America. This flowering plant grows to about 0.3–2 m tall having simple leaves arranged in opposite pairs. The flowers are between 2-4 inches in diameter and occur in white, yellow, pink, orange, maroon yellow, and scarlet colors.

Fuchsia – Third Wedding Anniversary

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Fuchsia comprises about 110 recognized species of woody, flowering plants native to Central and South America. Most of the species are shrubs growing to about 0.2–4 m tall. The brightly colored flower has pendulous “eardrop” shape pointing downward. The flower itself is composed of a petal-like lobes called sepals red in color; and a petal occurring in various colors including dark red, orange, purple-blue, white as well as yellow.

Geranium – Fourth Wedding Anniversary

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Geraniums are perennial flowering plants consisting of about 200 species native to Southern Africa. The plant grows to about 15 – 60cm tall. The cup-shaped flower cluster floats on top of the plant It comes in a range of colors including white, red, pink, mauve, blue and magenta. Blooms can produce a variety of scents, depending on the cultivar

Daisy – Fifth Wedding Anniversary

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Daisies are simple yet sophisticated flowers in the floral world. This perennial flowering plant has smooth evergreen leaves and multi-branched stem producing multiple blossoms. The flower itself is composed of disk florets (yellow center) and petal-like ray florets. Generally, a daisy has white ray florets (petals), although sometimes it can be pink, red, magenta, purple or bronze.

Calla Lily – Sixth Wedding Anniversary

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The Calla lily is a perennial bulb native to Southern Africa. One of the most beautiful flowers in the floral world, calla lilies grow to about 1-3 feet tall. The green leaves 1 1/2′ long are shaped like arrowheads. In general calla lilies have white, waxy flowers, although some cultivars produces shades of pink, yellow, green, pink, purple, and orange.

Jack-in-the-pulpit – Seventh Wedding Anniversary

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Jack-in-the-Pulpit is a herbaceous perennial plant growing from an underground stem base. It averages around 30 to 65 cm tall with irregularly-shaped leaves, growing to about 8-15 cm long. The flowers contained on a short stalk under the leaves are yellowish-green, with purple or brownish stripes. Each flower has a spathe, made from a single leaf, with a with an overhanging hood folding over its top.

Clematis – Eighth Wedding Anniversary

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Clematis is a semi-evergreen perennial vine that grows up to about 10 m high. Clematis is widespread in Europe, North America, Central America, Australia, and China. Generally, the fragrant flowers come in white, star-shaped blooms, although other varieties occurs in yellow, pink, blue, purple and red. Aside from the popular star-shaped flowers, clematis flowers occur in various shapes including; bell, tulip, and saucer.

Poppies – Ninth Wedding Anniversary

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Poppies are flowering plants comprising the genera of Papaveraceae. More than 100 poppy species native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia are cultivated as ornamental plants. Poppy plants can grow up to 4 feet tall. Flowers are either single or double having 4 to 6 petals. Poppy flowers come in almost any color, depending on the variety.

Daffodils – Tenth Wedding Anniversary

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Daffodils belong to the genus Narcissus comprising more than 50 species and many hybrids. These fragrant flowers come in a trumpet shaped blossoms enclosed by a perianth (a ring of six floral leaves). Flowers have bi-color patterns such as: pink, yellow-white, yellow-orange, white-orange, pink, and lime green. Flowers come in different sizes – from a half-inch flowers on a 2-inch stems. to 5-inch blooms on 2-foot stem.

For those celebrating their 11th wedding anniversaries and onward, just wait for Anniversary Flowers Part Two.