Bird of Paradise

Few flowers look so much like something alive. The bird of paradise holds its orange crest and blue tongue in the exact posture of a crane about to lift off, and the resemblance is no accident — in its native South Africa, sunbirds perch on the blue petal, which bends beneath them and dusts their feet with pollen.

In Hawaiʻi it thrives in gardens and along roadsides, throwing up one bright head after another from a fan of stiff, paddle-shaped leaves. It is a plant of patience: young ones can take years to bloom, then bloom faithfully for decades.

Its sculptural shape makes it a favorite for arrangements and a satisfying puzzle, all hard angles and confident color against deep green.