Bird of Paradise

The Bird of Paradise rhizome grows into a beautifully colored flowering plant with very large one to two foot long blooms of white flowers, (Strelitzia nicolai) The other cultivar and the most popular Bird of Paradise flower contains a mixture of brilliant color mixtures of red, yellow, orange, and etc., (Strelitzia reginae). The Bird of Paradise plant can be grown out-of-doors in the deep South, zones 9 and 10 or grown as a containerized plant in Northern States. When grown out-of-doors, the Bird of Paradise sometimes grows into a huge tree with large banana-like leaves. The flowers are pointed like a tropical bird's head -with a brilliant mixture of bazaar colors. Florists like to use the bird of paradise blooms as cut flowers in floral arrangements that require huge, oversize container placements, as in entrances to hotel lobbies that appear fresh for extended periods are long lasting.

• The spectacular flowers of the Bird of Paradise Lily plant are connected, pointed bracts of bright, waxy colors of red, orange, yellow and white. The flowers of the Orange Bird of Paradise plant flair upwards from the unfolding flower bud that begins to tilt sideways. Hummingbirds are attracted to the orange flower color of the Bird of Paradise bloom to collect the sweet nectar and satisfy the calorie requirements for their high rate of metabolism. A Bird of Paradise plant is a stunning sight to appreciate when planted next to walkways and hotel entrances. Does a white bird perched on a flower of the Orange Bird of Paradise fall in love with the blooms that mimic the shape of the white bird? Bird of Paradise plants grow well indoors under low light with low plant maintenance, requiring only slight watering at times. If the Orange Bird of Paradise plant is grown indoors, if can be successfully flowered even in low illumination.

• The White Bird of Paradise is a popular plant at motels and hotels from Daytona Beach, Florida southward. Under that climatic condition the plant can grow three stories high, 30 feet tall. The flowers of the White Bird of Paradise spread open as white elongated triangles pointing away from the center point of attachment to form a semi-circle pattern of a 180 degree figure. The White Bird of Paradise plants can be containerized to control the height of growth to 6 feet which is ideal for indoor plant use. Overlooking the ocean at a park in Sorrento, Italy, the White Bird of Paradise plants soar to 30 feet in height in a tropical dense setting near the hotels. At a Georgia Coastal Island resort spa; the White Bird of Paradise plants are interplanted with banana plants, black leaf elephant ears and ferns shaded by Golden Goddess Bamboo plants. The clusters of white flowers on the Bird of Paradise plant contrast starkly with the dark background color of the plant.

The exotic flowers of the Orange Bird of Paradise plant have the shape and form of the tropical creature's head and of feathers-the living bird that lives in the tropical jungle paradise. Most colors of the rainbow can be found in the flowers of the Orange Bird of Paradise. The leaves of the Orange Bird of Paradise plant are often shaped like a banana leaf, and from a distance, the plant looks like a banana tree.

The flowers of the White Bird of Paradise plant are long lasting and grow out of the base of a plant that can grow up to 30 feet in height. The base of the Bird of Paradise plant is anchored firmly by long, thick, flesh-like roots that vigorously secure the plant into the earth. The root system of the White Bird of Paradise Lily Plant produces green, thick lateral tubes, which grow upwards to amazing heights.