Strelitzia (commonly known as bird of paradise or crane flower) is a genus of five flowering plants in the family Strelitziaceae native to the southern Africa. Its common name, bird of paradise, refers to the resemblance of the open flower to the head of an actual bird-of-paradise.
Bird of paradise produces exotic looking flowers, usually in shades of red, orange or yellow (Strelitzia reginae, S. juncea), although some species are white (Strelitzia alba, S. caudata, S. nicolai). Each flower sprouts from a beak-like sheath (called a spathe) that grows at right angles to the stem, creating the appearance of the bird's beak. The flowers consist of red to yellow sepals and purplish-blue or white petals. The leaves are tall and thick, arranged in a fan-like pattern.
