Strelitzia reginae is a tufted, evergreen, stemless perennial up to about 1.5 m tall and 2 m across, endemic to the eastern coast of South Africa. Its fleshy, finger-like roots support banana-like leaves arranged in a fan, with blades about 50 cm long and 10 cm wide that sometimes have red edges. A flowering stalk about 70 cm tall bears a boat-shaped spathe about 20 cm long, from which 4 to 6 flowers with orange sepals and blue to purple petals emerge in succession, resembling the head of a crane. The fruit is a woody capsule containing black seeds with a tuft of orange to yellow hairs. The epithet reginae means of the queen. Yellow-flowered selections such as 'Mandela's Gold' are also grown. The species is widely cultivated as a garden plant, pot plant and cut flower. The fruit and seeds can cause mild nausea, vomiting and drowsiness in dogs, cats and horses if eaten.
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