Home » So This is Why a Strelizia is Called a Bird of Paradise

So This is Why a Strelizia is Called a Bird of Paradise

We all know that South Africa’s native Strelitzia is commonly called a ‘bird of paradise’… but turns out most of us have been looking at it wrong! A regular Reddit user, Charmito, posted the following pic and caption a few days ago, saying: “I’m 37 years old, and just today realized it’s called bird of […]

By SAPeople
05-06-18 10:17
in Environment

We all know that South Africa’s native Strelitzia is commonly called a ‘bird of paradise’… but turns out most of us have been looking at it wrong!

The strelitzia is native to South Africa, although now found in other parts of the world including Australia and France.

A regular Reddit user, Charmito, posted the following pic and caption a few days ago, saying: “I’m 37 years old, and just today realized it’s called bird of paradise because it looks like the left picture, not the right… ” (A reader of 75 admitted she too had been making the same mistake all her life.)

The Strelitzia is named after Queen Charlotte’s place of birth in the UK – Mecklenburg-Strelitz… but it’s more commonly called the bird of paradise because its flower looks similar to a bird of paradise (see video below).

Photo by Alan Rudnicki at Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, Western Cape, South Africa

The plant is found around the world from Australia to France, and is even the floral emblem of Los Angeles… but it’s actually native to South Africa.

Nelson Mandela South Africa
Mandela’s Gold is the common name for the Strelitzia reginae. (Image: Neelix, Wikipedia)

In SA the Strelitzia is also known as a crane flower (which does then look more like the picture on the right).

Crane. Source: Encyclopedia Britannica

Bird of Paradise Video