Strelitzia: The flower that looks like a bird

     Most known as strelitzia, crane flower or bird of paradise, the flower that looks like a bird with its exotics colours such as orange, green, purplish blue, and it's original from South Africa.
    Its scientific name is Strelitzia Reginae, a Latin name that means Queen's strelitzia, in homage to King George III from England's wife.
    The strelitzia can reach 1,5m height  and the flower only can reach 15cm, however this flower only starts to bloom three years after being planted.
    Although its leafs are perennial the flower only blooms in seasons more warm, where temperature is between 22ºC and 25ºC. The bird from paradise is very resistant to the wind, so it's good to seaside places like Porto City.

    Its exotic appearance calls attention that being said it's very common to be used to decorate not only inside places but also gardens.

    Porto Gardens found some strelitzias on Restaurant Convívio's flower beds, near Cidade do Porto Shopping Centre. If you find more somewhere in the city don't exitate in taking pictures and publish them on your social media with our hashtag #myportogardens

Written by: Francisca Rehbein
Translated by: Francisca Rehbein
Photos by: Júlia Aguiar and Francisca Rehbein