Giant Bird of Paradise (S) | Cloudy Pot

COMMON NAME / BOTANICAL NAME

Giant White Bird of Paradise / Strelitzia Nicolai

OVERVIEW

Big banana like leaves. Strelitzia nicolai is a great plant for a very sunny spot. Growth can be very quick with the leaves arching architecturally creating a fan. If you have the space it can flower but only after it gets to 2.5m+. In the meantime, you can admire the lovely gigantic leaves and long arcing stems.
It's quite normal for some tearing to occur in the leaves. Similar to fenestrations in a cheese plant, it uses these tears to allow sunlight to filter through to the lower parts of the plant and mitigate the effects of wind. If totally undisturbed, it will have less tearing but eventually it will tear under its own weight. These tears are inevitable, especially on larger leaves. Please do not worry if you receive your plant with tears in the leaves, it is very normal and healthy.

LIGHT

This plant needs a lot of light to be happy. Full sun is absolutely no problem!

TEMPERATURE

It can tolerate colder temperatures but cannot take anything below 4 degrees Celsius.

WATER

It likes lots of watering in the Summer. In the winter months let it dry fully before giving it a good drink.

FOOD

Give it a liquid feed every 4-6 weeks in the growing season.

TIPS

Leave it in the same pot until it is very root bound.

PETS

Poisonous to pets.