Plant Care Guides / Outdoor & Coastal / Large shrubs and feature plants
Indigenous | Easy Care | Large shrubs and feature plants
The bird of paradise is one of South Africa's most iconic plants, and it is right at home on the St Francis Bay coast. Its bold, paddle-shaped, blue-green leaves grow in a fan from the base, and from late winter through summer it sends up striking orange and blue flowers that look exactly like exotic birds in flight, which is where the name comes from.
It is also known as the crane flower and appears on the South African 50-cent coin. This also covers the narrow-leafed Strelitzia parvifolia (juncea), which has the same flowers but with reed-like leaves instead of broad paddles. Both handle wind, salt air, sandy soil and drought once established, making them ideal for exposed coastal gardens. The flowers attract sunbirds, bees and nectar-feeding insects.
About 1 to 1.5 m tall and up to 2 m wide as a mature clump.
Moderate. It takes two to three years from a division to start flowering freely.
Feature plant, mass planting, border, large container, poolside, driveway entrance. One of the most dramatic plants for a sunny coastal bed.
Full sun for the best flowering. It tolerates semi-shade, but flowers are fewer and growth gets leggier.
Well-drained soil enriched with compost. It handles sandy coastal soil well as long as it has some organic matter worked in.
Water regularly while establishing, especially in summer. Once settled, it is drought-tolerant and copes with dry spells, though it flowers better with moderate watering through the growing season. Reduce in winter.
Feed in spring and autumn with a balanced slow-release fertiliser. A potassium-rich feed encourages flowering.
Remove dead or damaged leaves at the base with clean, sharp shears. Cut spent flower stalks back to the base once the bloom has finished. Every few years, divide congested clumps in late winter to rejuvenate the planting and improve flowering, though divided plants take two to three years to flower again.
Ask about availability. WhatsApp us to check what is currently in stock, or visit the nursery and we will help you choose the right plant for your spot.
