Strelitzia reginae - Bird-of-Paradise

Mine seems to prefer to bloom in winter too.................

Meanie:

That's the normal blooming period. Bird-of-paradise is a short-day blooming plant. This why they bloom from: fall - spring here in San Diego.

Just taken a picture of one flowering in a local open garden....

It's unusual for Bird-of-paradise to bloom in summer. They're a short day bloomer. I do know they occasionally have a flower or two like this one posted in summer, though.

I have never seen one in bloom before, but this was in a garden growing tropical plants....

Wow! That's so strange for me to hear that you've never seen one in bloom before. There's so many here in California and I've never lived in a placed where they weren't very common.

Was the plant growing outside in the ground?