Strelitzia nicolai

Strelizia nicolai is a giant white bird of paradise, also known as the False traveler's tree (Ravenala madagascariensis), due to certain similarities in their appearance. This giant perennial plant is closely related to the Strelitzia reginae but even more spectacular. It develops several false trunks with tough leaves that resemble those of banana trees, arranged in a fan shape. The flowers resemble the bird of paradise but are white with dark blue bracts. Grow this amazing tropical plant in a very large pot in a very bright room or on the terrace, and store it indoors during frost.

Strelitzia nicolai belongs to the Strelitziaceae family, which consists of 5 known species, all native to clearings and riverbanks along South African rivers. This evergreen rhizomatous perennial plant can reach 8m (26ft) high in open ground and spreads laterally by producing shoots over 3m (10ft) long. In pots, it will rarely exceed 2.5m (8ft) high and 1m (3ft) wide at the base. False trunks (stipes) emerge from the rhizomes, formed by the sheaths of overlapping leaf stalks. At the top of each stipe, large fans composed of long-stalked leaves unfold in 2 rows. They measure 2m (7ft) long, including the stalk, and 60cm (0 and 24in) wide. Their leaves are strongly marked by secondary veins and often laterally split, like those of banana trees, dark greenish-grey and satin-like, sometimes with a purplish-tinged midline. Flowering occurs from June to September. Rising from the axils of the leaves, large, dark blue-grey bracts tinged with violet, emerge from the flowers with long white sepals and bright blue petals. Their structure is like exotic bird heads. The flowers are followed by reddish capsules containing seeds.

In floristry, the Strelitzia is the ultimate exotic cut flower, due to its extraordinary structure and beautiful harmony of colours, rare in the plant world. It is also a very beautiful conservatory plant, which only dislikes cold and is easy to grow as long as it has enough space, water, and nutrients during the growing period. It is easy to create an exotic setting around the Strelitzia, by combining it with cannas, castor oil plants, Melianthus major, Billbergia nutans, a small banana tree, gingers, and a small palm tree such as the Sabal minor, for example.