Strelitzia nicolai

Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Strelitzia nicolai, Regel & C. Koch. Resembling S. augusta in habit and foliage, but the 'fls. and spathe are much larger and the petals are hastately combined and blue in color. B.M. 7038. F.S. 13:1356. Gt. 7:235. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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Plant Info
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Scientific classification
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Binomial name
Strelitzia nicolai Regel & K. Koch
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Strelitzia nicolai, commonly known as the White Bird of Paradise , Wild Banana or Giant Bird of Paradise, has erect woody, palm like stems reaching a height of 6 m (20 ft) and the clumps formed can spread as far as 3.5 m (12 ft).

The 1.8 m (6 ft) long leaves are grey-green and arranged like a fan at the top of the stems, similar to Ravenala madagascariensis. The inflorescence is composed of a dark blue bract, white sepals and a bluish-purple "tongue". The entire flower can be as large as 7 inches high by 18 inches long and is typically held just above the point where the leaf fan emerges from the stem. Flowers are followed by triangular seed capsules.

Cultivation

Strelitzia nicolai, inflorescence

Strelitzia nicolai prefers rich, moist soils with good drainage in full sun to part shade. The plant tolerates mild frost.

Propagation is via division of clumps, offsets and from seed but note that plants require many years of growth before they begin blooming. In the correct conditions they self seed freely, and their invasive root systems are best kept away from buildings.

References

• Botanicas' Annuals & Perennials, Random House, Sydney, 2005