Strelitzia Reginae | Orange Bird of Paradise (XL) Cranerys

Cranerys’s survival guide

We hear ya: Strelitzia Reginae sounds like people dressed as scientists for toothpaste ads. If so, you might dig this plant’s name in regular parlance: Bird of Paradise, or Crane Flower. Now, that’s a damn good superhero name! The nicknames come from two pretty neat design features: the plant looks like a birds head when it’s blossoming, and the flowers resemble feathers on a crane’s head (the bird, not the machine)

What makes Cranerys so special

Aside from its noble roots (ha), the Strelitzia is actually pretty down to earth (somebody’s on a streak today!) and easy to please. She is not fussy about her watering needs, as long as you don’t overdo it. Just like climate change, though, sunburn is a real thing: if you leave your Strelitzia exposed to direct sunlight, it will suffer more than that time you tried a DIY wax job during the season finale of Grey’s Anatomy. Instead, use indirect light, all-year-round, and avoid temperatures below 10°C. Oh and a final, friendly advice: this plant is considered mildly toxic for cats, dogs, and people. So, if your household has pets, children, adults on a plant-based diet, or all of the above…you might want to get rid of them first!