A Strelitzia reginae spathe with brilliant orange sepals and bright blue petals in sunlight

Strelitzia reginae (Bird of Paradise)

Native to South Africa is a striking perennial that has found a niche in warm climates around the world. The plant’s cultivation extends beyond its native range, with notable popularity in Florida and California. Renowned for its vivid orange and blue inflorescences it has garnered the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. ‘Mandela’s Gold’ is a recognized cultivar of this species, offering a unique yellow-flowered variant. The Bird of Paradise is a cut-flower crop in Colombia. Photographed in Santa Rosa, Colombia.

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A developing Strelitzia reginae flower with one open and one curved orange petal flanking a central blue petal emerging from a dark red bract

A sharp side view of a Strelitzia reginae flower showing two upright orange petals and horizontal blue petals shaped like a crane’s head

A green and reddish Strelitzia reginae spathe with brilliant orange sepals and a bright blue petals

A Strelitzia reginae bloom with orange petal blades and bright blue inner segments emerging from a pink and gray bract

A gray-blue and red Strelitzia reginae spathe with brilliant orange sepals and a bright blue petals

A bright Strelitzia reginae flower with orange sepals and deep violet-blue petals standing upright in front of broad green leaves

A vivid orange and blue flower of Strelitzia reginae with pointed petals and a beak-like base growing in a sunlit tropical garden

The iconic bird-like flower of Strelitzia reginae showing orange petals and blue floral structures against a backdrop of red and green foliage

A green and red Strelitzia reginae spathe with brilliant orange sepals and a bright blue petal