Bird-of-paradise (Plant)

Bird-of-paradise has been cultivated worldwide and is one of the best-known plants. It is native to the subtropical coastal areas of southern Africa but has been naturalized in many locations around the world. Its exotic appearance, with unique and brightly colored flowers that look like the head of a bird, has made it a favorite with horticulturists, designers, florists, and gardeners. In full flower, a bird-of-paradise looks a bit like several birds hidden in a clump of foliage, craning their necks up and turning their plumed heads and pointed beaks in different directions.

Flowers

The most famous and noticeable part of bird-of-paradise is its flowers. Set atop long stalks that can reach five feet in height, the flowers have a complex structure with bright colors and copious nectar to entice their bird pollinators. A green, red, or purplish canoe-shaped bract (a modified leaf, also called a spathe) forms on the stalk, and it opens along its top edge to reveal the flower petals, stamens, and prominent stigma that unfold from inside the sheath. The flowers typically bloom from September through May.

Birds seek out the nectar, which is found in the “nectary” at the base of the flower where two petals join together. A bird hops onto the smaller, lower petal, and the bird’s weight exposes the anthers, which brush pollen on the bird’s feet and chest. When the bird flies to another flower, it lands on the prominent and sticky stigma and deposits pollen, before hopping in for another nectar treat. Different birds act as pollinators for different bird-of-paradise, but some birds, like sunbirds, have been found to be “nectar robbers,” avoiding the flower’s pollinating parts and just eating the nectar.

Leaves

The leaves on a bird-of-paradise plant are arranged to form a fan-like clump of thick, waxy, and evergreen foliage. The color of the leaves varies from glossy, deep green, to blue-green, to muted gray-green. The leaves are paddle shaped, similar to banana plant leaves, and attached to a long, upright stalk. An exception is the narrow-leaved bird-of-paradise, which has leaves like pointed spikes on mature plants.

Bird-of-paradise are hardy, drought-tolerant plants that are easy to grow, especially in warm climates, and they are used extensively as ornamental landscape plants. They can also be grown as indoor houseplants in cold areas. The flowers are a staple for florists in creating exotic and tropical arrangements, not only for their looks but also because they are long lasting—up to two weeks.