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It’s native to South Africa, not tropical islands
Bird-of-paradise looks like it belongs under the lush, green canopy of an overgrown rainforest, but this plant grows wild in South Africa’s eastern cape region, along the riverbanks and open areas of its coastline. Birds-of-paradise love mild climates and are popular ornamental plants, especially in Florida and Southern California. The city of Los Angeles adopted the plant’s unique bloom as its official flower in 1952 in celebration of the city’s 171st birthday.
