<p>All five different Bird of Paradise flowers get grouped together under the Strelitzia scientific name. While the common name comes from the bird-like appearance of the bloom, the scientific name is drawn from Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She was married to King George III when the flower was first imported into Great Britain, so the royal gardener named it after her. It’s also more commonly called the crane flower in its native home.
Symbolism of the Bird of Paradise Flower
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The Bird of Paradise symbolizes many different meanings because it’s such an exotic and unusual flower. Everyone that encountered it developed their own idea of the bloom as a symbol. As a native lily from South Africa, freedom and beauty are the two traditional meanings that stand out the most. The Bird of Paradise also means a royalty lineage or bearing due to its association with ruling families. The sheer beauty of the contrasting petals makes it an obvious symbol of excellence and success.
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/27190564@N02">Kirt Edblom</a> from Kihei, Hi, United States
CC BY-SA 2.0
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kirt_edblom/45864022391/">A bird of a different color</a>