International name: Strelitzia nicolai
Family name: Strelitziaceae
(South) Africa: Kuswildepiesang
Chinese: 大鹤望兰
Deutsch: Baum-Strelitzie
English: Giant white bird of paradise / Wild banana
Japanese: オーガスタ (植物)
Nederlands: Witte Paradijsvogelbloem
Sweden: Vit papegojblomma
World:
Strelitzia nicolai is one of three larger Strelitzia species, the other two are:
- Strelitzia caudata
- Strelitzia alba
It’s restricted to evergreen coastal forest and thicket of eastern South Africa from the Great Fish River northwards to Richards Bay. It is also considered native to Mozambique, Botswana and Zimbabwe, and is reportedly naturalized in eastern Mexico.
Location:
Strelitzia nicolai prefers rich moist soils with good drainage in full sun to part shade. The plant tolerates light frost.
Height:
Strelitzia nicolai can reach a height of 6 to 10 m (20 ft).
And the clumps formed can spread as far as 3.5 m (11 ft).
Flowers:
The inflorescence is composed of a dark blue bract, white sepals and a bluish-purple "tongue". The entire flower can be as much as 18 cm (7.1 in) high by 45 cm (18 in) long and is typically held just above the point where the leaf fan emerges from the stem.
Seeds:
Flowers are followed by triangular seed capsules.
Leaves:
The 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) long leaves are grey-green and arranged like a fan at the top of the stems.
Roots:
The invasive root systems are best kept away from buildings.
Pruning:
Trimming off old leaves and stems occasionally is all that's necessary. You can thin the plant out or cut back for size by cutting off the largest stalks at ground level.
Chemicals:
Strelitzia nicolai is among the few plants which have been verified to contain the pigment bilirubin, which is usually found in animals.
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Music:
Thastor - Tropical Jungle Love (Tropical House Music)
• Video
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Sources:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strelit...
www.south-florida-plant-guide....