Strelitzia Nicolai (Giant white bird of paradise)

Strelitzia Nicolai (Giant white bird of paradise) is an ornamental house plant. It is a trunk forming, clustering tree to 6m high with banana-like shiny green leathery leaves, having an obtuse base arranged in two ranks. The inflorescence is composed of a dark blue bract, white sepals, and a bluish-purple tongue. The entire bloom can be as much as 7 inches high by 45 18 inches long and is typically held just above the point where the leaf fan emerges from the stem. Blooms are followed by triangular seed capsules.

Scientific Name: Strelitzia nicolai
Synonyms: Strelitzia alba subsp. nicolai, Strelitzia quensonii.
Common Names: Giant white bird of paradise or wild banana.

How to care and grow Strelitzia Nicolai?

Light:

It thrives best very bright light. An excessive amount of daylight will harm the blooms. This plant can even be set in the direct sun if you do it gradually and allow the leaves to slowly adapt. You may need to move a white bird of paradise plant to different areas of your home as the seasons change in order to give it adequate light, placing it close to a south- facing window is always best.

Soil:

Strelitzia Nicolai grows well in a rich, moist but well-drained, basic potting soil.

Water:

Water your plant regularly during the growing season and always keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. You can allow the top 1 inch of soil to dry out between each watering. During the winter months, reduce watering.

Temperature:

Strelitzia Nicolai prefers an ideal temperature of 70ºF – 90ºF / 21ºC – 32ºC. They can tolerate temperatures as low as 55ºF / 13ºC.

Fertilizer:

Fertilize every two weeks throughout the spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer. Never fertilize a white bird of paradise plant in the fall and winter when it is resting.

Pruning:

Remove dead or damaged leaves and stems close to the soil.

Humidity:

This plant prefers normal air humidity inside the home. During the winter months, you can mist the leaves of the plants to simulate rainfall, which will also improve humidity during the months that artificial heating is used.

Propagation:

Strelitzia Nicolai can be easily propagated by suckers or by seed.

Pests and Diseases:

There is no serious pest or disease problems. But it is susceptible to scale, Mealy Bugs, and spider mites.