Elegance and Precision
The Bird of Paradise has been one of my favorite flowers for a long time. When it shows up in a flower arrangement, I feel like it’s a special gift, an extravagance. This flower symbolizes abundance for me.
Birds of Paradise, also called Crane Flowers (Stretlitzia reginae) are indigenous to South Africa and the Eastern Cape, where we are now living, in particular. They grow in profusion here. These are some of the Crane Flowers growing on the grounds of the College of Transfiguration.
When we visited the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Capetown, which is in the Western Cape, we saw magnificent stands of these flowers.
Our guide explained that on the Eastern Cape, pollination of these flowers is done by a particular bird that lives in the Eastern Cape, but not in the Western Cape, or any of the other places in the world in which the flower has been transplanted, including Florida and California. At Kirstenbosch and other places, pollination must be done by hand. With no natural pollinator, the flowers that now bloom now throughout the world have grown from seeds that come from South Africa.
The bird that pollinates the Crane Flower is the Cape Weaver. Here’s where it gets really amazing to me. The bird wants the nectar that’s inside the flower. To get to the nectar, the bird stands on the blue part that sticks out. The bird’s weight is just right to cause the petals to open and expose pollen to the feet of the bird.
The pollen gets all over the bird’s feet, the bird flies off to visit another flower and pollination takes place. The best place for the bird to feed is also the best place for pollination. The bird needs the flower and the flower needs the bird! They depend on one another for life. Beautiful!
People in California have recently discovered that a new relationship has developed between birds and Birds of Paradise that now grow in California. A type of warbler, the Common Yellowthroat, seems to have discovered the Crane Flower’s nectar and is pollinating the flower there. What will happen as this new combination of bird and flower develops?
I am awed by the elegance and precision of this relationship, and I am reminded of the awesome task of stewardship for creation and of this prayer from the Book of Common Prayer:
Almighty God, in giving us dominion over things on earth,
you made us fellow workers in your creation: Give us wisdom
and reverence so to use the resources of nature, that no one
may suffer from our abuse of them, and that generations yet
to come may continue to praise you for your bounty; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The photos with the birds come from Gardenroute.com (https://www.gardenroute.com/photo-gallery_gallery_op_list_category_1162) and science direct.com
If you’re interested in the scientific study about pollination of the Crane Flower outside of South Africa, see this article.
If you’re curious about the Weaver, here is one hanging from its woven nest above Freedom Square at the College of Transfiguration.
You know I love birds. This was fascinating!
Mom
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So glad! Love you!
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Very nice article, Amy! Does the little warbler have a pretty song also? Glad to hear you and Joe are happily adjusting to South Africa!
Best Wishes,
David King Wood
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Thank you David! We hope you are doing well too. Thank you also for being someone who is kind to these lovely and helpful creatures! Blessings and joy, Amy and Joe
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A lovely read on the bird of paradise and its companion, the warbler (and thank you for the nod to California!). I grew up with birds of paradise in Los Angeles and have a stand of them in the yard of my home there. I know I will think of your essay now whenever I see them!
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Oh, how lovely! Thank you for sharing that.
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That is a thing of beauty between the birds and flowers. God has give us such beauty.
Godspeed Peter
On Sun, Sep 23, 2018, 4:11 PM Amy and Joe Go to Africa wrote:
> Amy Richter posted: “The Bird of Paradise has been one of my favorite > flowers for a long time. When it shows up in a flower arrangement, I feel > like it’s a special gift, an extravagance. This flower symbolizes > abundance for me. Birds of Paradise, also called Crane Flowers ” >
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What a beautiful email. I so enjoyed reading and looking that I have done it several times today. We have Bird of Paradise in St.Pete also and I so enjoy them every winter. I’ll have to look closer for the pollinating process. My sister has them in her yard, so I well also ask her to keep watch. The photos are exquisite. The beauty of this planet is such an awesome gift from our God and I am thankful every day for this world that surrounds me.
My youngest granddaughter, Sidney, is in Zambia right now in a volunteer position teaching the village children. She is in love with Africa and may never come back. I have never seen her so happy & her blog is really wonderful. I am so proud of her for following her dream. She is trying to get an extension until mid December. The plan was to go to Capetown at some point. Could I give her your contact info if that ever happens? I feel much closer to all of you, knowing that you and Joe are close by, and vise versa with Sidney near you. My nephew has also hooked her up with his friends in Capetown, so I am not so scared of her being alone. Her photo of the sky arrived on my computer right after your description. It is a small world after all. Love and Blessings to you both. Fran
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Dear Fran, Thanks so much and absolutely please send your granddaughter our contact info! How wonderful that she is so happy and doing such good. Our amyandjoe@amyandjoegotoafrica.com is probably the best way for her to be in touch. Please send the name of her blog and we will follow her too. Love to you and Hank,
Amy
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