Strelitzia | West LA

"And so I named the magnolia and jacaranda and schefflera trees and I pointed out the golden poppies and gladioli and birds of paradise, which are also called strelitzia and are the official flower of the city of Los Angeles. (It may or may not interest you to know that while the strelitzia is plentiful here, it is not native to this land at all, and was imported from South Africa in 1853.  And of course in stating “this land” I am referring to the land of the Tongva and also of the Chumash.)

The birds of paradise are the ones he remembers most of all, and of course the jasmine too, because it is quite near impossible to forget the smell of jasmine, once you’ve inhaled it."

From "Asparagus" | In The Fullness of Time

I was 40 years old when I realized it was called Bird of Paradise for the sketch on the left, not the right, but I still refuse to believe it.

Specs:

• Shot with a 1970s Canon ae-1 on Kodak UltraMax 400
• You will receive an 8x10 matte photo print, signed on back
• This item is print to order; please allow time for printing