What are the flower meanings and legends of the bird of paradise? Read this article to find out
The bird of paradise flower, also known as the paradise bird flower and the crane's-bill, among other names, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Strelitzia in the family Strelitziaceae. It is native to southern Africa. It is cultivated in parks and flower nurseries in major cities in southern China, while in the north it is grown in greenhouses. It stays green all year round, and the plant is distinctive, with a clear and elegant feel and extremely high ornamental value. Let us take a look below at the flower meanings and legends of the bird of paradise!
The flower meaning of the bird of paradise flower
The flower meaning of the bird of paradise isfreedom, good fortune, happiness and joy, and in China it also carries the meaning of longevity. The bird of paradise flower is a wild flower from southern Africa. Long ago, the British queen Charlotte liked this flower, so the queen named this flower, which was born in “Bird of Paradise Village”, the “bird of paradise”. Because it resembles a red-crowned crane, it is also called the crane's-bill, symbolising freedom and good fortune. The bird of paradise flower also has another name, the paradise bird flower, and carries the meaning of longevity.
The symbolism of the bird of paradise flower
1. No matter when, no matter where, never forget that the person you love is waiting for you.
2. A bird that can fly to heaven can carry all kinds of emotions and longing to heaven.
The legend of the bird of paradise flower
A boy and a girl loved each other very much. The boy liked to travel the world taking photographs, and the girl liked to grow flowers at home. No matter where the boy went, he would bring local flower seeds back for the girl. The girl liked the bird of paradise best, so no matter where the boy went, every year when the bird of paradise bloomed, the boy would come home to watch the flowers with the girl.
The boy was about to go out to take photographs again. This time he was going to an indigenous tribe, and the girl's younger brother went along too. On the way they encountered a wild animal attack, and while fleeing they became separated. An indigenous girl saved the boy and brought him back to their tribe. This girl was the princess of the tribe.
The princess liked the boy very much and hoped he would stay, but the boy only loved his beloved girlfriend and was determined to leave. In a fit of anger, the princess used witchcraft to bewitch the boy's heart, causing him to lose consciousness, and he lived together with the princess in the indigenous tribe. When the girl's younger brother saw this life unfold, he returned home alone and told his sister: stop thinking about the boy, he will not come back. The girl did not believe her brother's words; she believed that when the bird of paradise bloomed, the boy would return.
With the last little bit of consciousness he had left, the boy struggled to escape that indigenous tribe. The princess gave him two choices: one was to live with the princess in the indigenous tribe, and the other was to walk into a cage holding a tiger. The boy slowly walked towards the cage, and at the very moment he was about to step into it, the princess was moved, and she decided to let the boy go.
The girl still waited at home for the boy's return. The bird of paradise bloomed, and the boy did not return. The bird of paradise withered, and the boy still did not return. When the boy came home, he no longer saw the girl. The younger brother told him that the girl had already died of longing. The boy was overcome with grief.
From then on, the boy never went anywhere else to take photographs. He only grew bird of paradise flowers at home. Whenever a passer-by came by, he would give them a bird of paradise flower and tell them: no matter when, no matter where, never forget that the person you love is waiting for you!