Strelitzia reginae

bird-of-paradise

In its native South Africa, this plant is pollinated in a unique way - when sunbirds land on the blue petals to drink the flower's nectar, their feet are dusted in pollen, which they then carry to the next flower they visit.

Natives in KwaZulu-Natal (southern Africa) have used strained decoctions of the flowers to treat venereal diseases and inflamed glands. A compound has been extracted from the petals to develop colors. The seeds are used in the Cape to sour milk, and at first I wasn’t sure why one would want to do this. Apparently, soured milk is different from spoiled milk, which sours naturally and may contain toxins. Souring milk is safe to drink/eat and helps improve its shelf life, while at the same time creating a thicker consistency in the milk. The end product probably tastes and feels like plain yogurt.

Bird-of-paradise likes a certain balance of sun and shade; if in too much sun, the leaves will burn but if in too much shade, flowers will be few. It is relatively slow growing and only requires occasional watering.