Strelitzia nicolai
Common name: Giant white bird of paradise · Wild banana
Strelitzia nicolai is a tree-like evergreen perennial native to coastal forests and dunes of southeastern South Africa. It grows in tall clumps with very large, banana-like leaves that characteristically split in the wind, and bears white-and-blue flowers partly hidden by dark purplish bracts. It is widely planted as a bold architectural plant in frost-free gardens and as a large indoor foliage plant.
Care summary
Sun
Full sun to partial shade
Water
Regular water; tolerates short dry spells
Soil
Fertile, well-drained soil
Hardiness
Zones 10–12
Mature height
About 500–1,000 cm (16–33 ft)
Pet safe
Mildly toxic to cats and dogs if eaten
Difficulty
Moderate
Propagation
Propagate by division of established clumps, making sure each section has roots and at least one shoot; divisions are slow to re-establish. It can also be grown from seed, but germination is slow and may take months.
Fun facts
- The species was named after Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich of Russia, a patron of botany.
- Its split, tattered leaves are not damage but a natural adaptation that lets wind pass through.
- Though it looks like a banana plant, it is more closely related to the traveller's tree of Madagascar.
- Unlike its orange-flowered relative S. reginae, it forms a true woody trunk and can reach the size of a small tree.