Strelitzia reginae

Banks

Bird's tongue flower, Crane flower, Bird-of-Paradise

StrelitziaceaeRootsSeeds/NutsFlowersScore: 11/100
Strelitzia reginae
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) tshire_letso, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Strelitzia reginae
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Croc O'Dyle, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Croc O'Dyle
Strelitzia reginae
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Craig Peter, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Craig Peter

What to Eat

Edible parts: Tuber, Root, Seeds, Flowers

The seeds are cooked and eaten. The tuber, roots, and flowers are also edible.

Where to Find It

A tropical plant. It grows naturally along river banks in South Africa. It suits hardiness zones 10-12. It needs moderate moisture. It needs a fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil. It needs an acid pH. It needs full sun. Melbourne Botanical Gardens.

Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, Fiji, Guam, Hawaii, Mexico, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pacific, Palau, Philippines, SE Asia, Slovenia, South Africa*, Southern Africa, USA,

Countries: United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brunei, Bhutan, Botswana, China, Fiji, Micronesia, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Kiribati, Comoros, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Lesotho, Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Mongolia, Maldives, Malawi, Mexico, Malaysia, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nauru, New Zealand, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Pakistan, Palau, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Solomon Islands, Singapore, Slovenia, Syria, Eswatini, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Taiwan, United States, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Vanuatu, Samoa, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A herb which keeps growing from year to year. It can grow to 1.2 m high. It spreads 0.9 m wide. The leaves are 30-75 cm long on stems 1.8 m long. The flowers are orange and blue. Each flower consists of 3 orange coloured sepals and 3 blue petals. Two of the petals are united in an arrowhead-like structure.

Nutrition Score: 11/100

PartMoisturekJkcalProteinVit AVit CIronZinc
Root 91.910926 0.4 1

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Strelitzia reginae, commonly known as the crane flower, bird of paradise, or isigude in Nguni, is a species of flowering plant native to the Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. An evergreen perennial, it is widely cultivated for its dramatic flowers. In temperate areas it is a popular houseplant.

Notes

It may be in a hot house in Slovenia.

Names & Synonyms

Ave de Paraiso, Kera phul, Kraljevska strelicija, Za-ma-ni-hnget-pan

Strelitzia parvifolia
References (17)
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