Strelitzia - A Plant Resembling a Bird

The Bird of Paradise is a stunning plant native to South Africa, with flowers that resemble a bird in flight.

These flowers look exotic thanks to their magnificent and unusually shaped large inflorescence. Although you might think they can only be grown in botanical gardens, the opposite is true. Strelitzia are not so demanding in terms of environment or care.

Strelitzia are herbs originating from the tropical and subtropical regions of South Africa. Since they are related to banana plants, the appearance of their leathery leaves with long petioles is strikingly similar.

Family

Musaceae, banana family

Plant Description

This is a rhizomatous plant with flowers on a smooth, long parent stem. The flowers resemble a bird's head and their diameter reaches up to 15 cm. The inner petals are colored dark blue and the outer ones orange, the leaves are dark green, bare, leathery and oval, their length reaches up to 40 cm, which are on petioles 50 to 60 cm long. The plant can reach an average of 1.2 to 1.3 m.

When Does Strelitzia Bloom

We can encounter flowering Strelitzia in spring, its flowers last for several weeks, which is why it is very popular in bouquets.

If the plant starts forming flowers, it should no longer be moved. It would stop growing and the flowers would not emerge.

How to Grow Strelitzia

It is best to grow it on the south to east side, because these are plants requiring maximum light. When grown on the north side, the plant will survive, but it is not as colorful and stretched, has minimal growth and does not bloom. During summer, it is suitable to place it in a protected spot in the garden, on a balcony or terrace.

Temperature in Winter

During winter, we should place Strelitzia in a cooler environment. It thrives best at temperatures around 13 °C.

Soil

The soil should be quality, neutral to slightly alkaline, rich in nutrients and well-draining. It is suitable to use a mixture of garden compost, sand and peat in a ratio of 3:2:1.

For planting, we choose a larger pot because Strelitzia roots are strong, fleshy and relatively fragile, they form large clumps and grow relatively deep compared to common houseplants, so they often push the base of the plant above the substrate surface.

Watering

from spring to autumn - watering should be moderate

in winter - minimal, about once every 10 to 14 days

in summer - on the contrary, we water abundantly

Fertilizing

From spring to autumn, we fertilize Strelitzia once every 14 days with fertilizer for flowering houseplants, during winter we fertilize with fertilizer for ornamental foliage houseplants once a month.

Air Humidity

In dry apartments and especially during hot summer days, it's advisable to mist Strelitzias, as they benefit from higher air humidity. In excessively dry environments, the edges and tips of their leaves will start to dry out.

Wipe the leaves with a sponge from time to time.

Repotting

These plants are repotted in spring, but we must be careful with the fleshy roots, which can be easily damaged. The soil must be very nutritious and the pot sufficiently spacious. The key to successful repotting is good drainage.

Propagation

Strelitzias can be propagated in two ways: by dividing the plant during repotting or by sowing seeds, which typically germinate after 6 months.

Growing Strelitzias from Seeds

Currently, you can obtain not only seedlings but also seeds of Strelitzia reginae and Strelitzia nicolai species and some of their cultivars. In tropical and subtropical regions, this plant is often planted in ornamental parks and has become naturalised in some countries. Seeds can also be obtained from flowering plants at home, which however must be artificially pollinated.

Seed sowing is best immediately after harvest, as they almost completely lose their viability during long-term storage.
Soak them for one to two days in lukewarm water and then sow them at a depth of about 1 cm. It's important to keep the substrate constantly moist.
Seeds will germinate in 1 to 2 months at a temperature of 20 to 25 °C

The disadvantage of growing from seeds is that Strelitzias only start flowering after 5 years. Seedlings are quite susceptible to overwatering and drying out, require sufficient light but not direct sun, and need higher air humidity.

If humidity or temperature fluctuates, germination can take up to 1 year!

Pests and Diseases

Aphids may appear, or scale insects on excessively warm locations during the dormancy period