Striking and indigenous

I was (once again) looking through the pictures I have of my friend’s mom’s indigenous garden. While a lot of the plants look quite straggly and the garden uneven – indigenous gardens are wild and the antithesis of a prim rose garden – I came across these pics of a Strelitzia, which really stands out.

While Strelitzias are a dime a dozen in South Africa, they are in fact a unique and beautiful indigenous plant. Apparently the genus is named after  Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the birthplace of Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III. It is also commonly known as  the crane flower (in South Africa) and the bird of paradise flower as its flowers supposedly resemble the bird.

Strelitzia
Strelitzia

Strelitzia 2
Strelitzia 2
Strelitzia 3
Strelitzia 3

5 thoughts on “Striking and indigenous”

  1. ama-zing! such a cool flower.

    I think, weirdly enough, somewhere like Hawaii has claimed it for their national flower even though it is indigenous to South Africa.

  2. screw those hawaians man! it’s such a crazy plant. i love that purple/lilac colour on the bottom petal – if you can call it a petal. and the leaves made little cups at the end that gather little puddled of water for the birds. loves it.

  3. What or how do I remove the dead flowers from my Strelitzia do I cut it or pull it out . I heard za story that they don’t flower easily again if you cut the stems. Please help?

  4. Hi Anita,

    This site says:

    To clean the dead flowers, don’t cut them off. Hold the flower down near the base, then twist and pull to remove. This stimulates the plant to produce more flowers.

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