White Bird of Paradise

A  L  O  H  A !

" Nobody outside of a

 baby carriage
 or a

 judge's chamber
believes in an
unprejudiced
 point of view. "

Lillian Hellman

“ May brooks and trees
and singing hills
 join in the chorus too,
and every gentle wind
that blows
 send happiness
 to you.”

 Irish Blessings

  Several of these beauties
flourish on my street.
"The Bird of Paradise tree"
or "White Bird of Paradise" 

Strelitzia nicolai  (that's a link)

 has banana-like foliage

 and with room

 may grow to 25 feet

in height.

A native of

 subtropical South Africa. 

 her flowers grow

 to a full 12 inches long. 

The first time one sees

 Strelitzia,

she is a bit of a visual shock,

after having become accustomed

 to the smaller, more common

Bird of Paradise, 

with her

familiar orange 

'birds.'

  

Strelitzia nicolai

 Image taken from: 'Water-colour Drawings of Plants from South Africa, Canaries, Azores, West Indies and Two Views of Niagra' by Francis Masson (1770-1798). 
Held in the Botany Library at the Natural History Museum, London.
Courtesy SCIENCEPHOTOLIBRARY

  

  "  Never be haughty to the humble  or humble to the haughty.  "

Jefferson Davis

 >  <  }  }  ( ° >

Thank  YOU

for walking along

today.

Make my day - leave YOUr comment! 

                            Warmly, cloudia