Strelitzia – facts and advice on care

Scientific name: Strelitzia
Family: Bird of Paradise Flower Family (Strelitziaceae)

Many people use plants as decorative furniture in the home, and Strelitzia is an excellent plant if you want to give life to the interior. With its large, banana plant-like leaves, it quickly becomes a green and lush eye-catcher in the room, and it can grow impressively large - several meters high, with the right care.

Sufficient light and water are the most important things Strelitzia needs to do well. Choose a pot with a hole in the bottom, and place it in a warm and bright place.

Light
Like most tropical plants, Strelitzia also likes it. Put it in a place where it gets light all day, but avoid direct sunlight for hours.

Temperature
Normal room temperature works fine for this plant. However, it does not like cold drafts and cannot withstand temperatures below 10 degrees. At around 15 degrees it will stop growing.

Air humidity
Strelitzia likes to be moist around it. Spray the plant with lukewarm water regularly, and do not place the plant directly next to the fireplace or the heat pump - where the air is often dry.

Fertilizer
With enough light and water, Strelitzia grows luxuriantly and nicely without a lot of nutrients, but you can give a slightly liquid, short-term nutrient approximately once a month in the summer months. - follow the instructions on the package.

The plant is thirsty, and you must therefore water relatively often. The soil should be evenly moist, but not soggy. Exactly how much depends on both the size of the plant, the location and the time of year. The plant needs more water in the summer than in the winter, for example.

It is best to water from the bottom, and it is therefore important to choose a pot with a hole in the bottom. Lift the pot to check if it is light or heavy. It usually gives you a better indication of whether it is time to water than just feeling the soil with your finger. Be sure to remove any excess water after a while, so that there is no water left in the pot over time.

You are welcome to take the Strelitizia outside with you when the summer heat arrives, it thrives outside in both sun and shade as long as the temperature does not drop below 10 degrees.

Lift the plant out of the pot to check if it should be replanted. If there are many roots around the clod, it is time to replant. Growth is inhibited if the roots completely fill the pot. Switch to a pot that is 2-3 cm larger in diameter, so that the plant has room to grow and new good soil - for example Plantasjens' premium flower soil mixed with ¼ perlite.

The plant can be divided, so you get more plants. Take the plant out of the pot and find a side shoot with roots. Carefully separate the side shoot from the mother plant, making sure you get the roots. Plant the offshoot in a new pot with some good soil, and in no time you have a new small plant.

Overwatering is generally the biggest problem plants suffer from. If there is too much water, the leaves turn yellow, and if the plant has been in water for some time, you can see that the stems start to rot from the bottom. Brown edges on the leaves indicate trust water.

Most plants can be attacked by small pests, and the fine leaves of Strelitzia can be tempting for scale insects, lice and thrips. Check your plant for pests regularly, so it will be easier to get rid of them should the accident happen.

Here in Norway, we are best familiar with Strelitzia as an evergreen potted plant, but in its original habitat it produces wonderful flowers that are pollinated by birds. To get flowers, the plant must have a lot of light. Therefore, it is relatively rare to see flowers on Strelitzia here in the north.

Strelitzia 'Nicolai'
By far the most common variant in the Nordic region. With its large green leaves that grow in a fan shape, this plant has become a favorite of many. Perhaps one of the trendiest plants in Norway. May have flowers in white and purple.

Strelitzia 'Reginae'
A common ornamental plant in tropical areas. Also called bird of paradise flower. The flower itself is orange and blue, and it is sold as a cut flower throughout much of the world.

Strelitzia 'Augusta'
Also called white bird flower, or formally Strelitzia 'Alba', and has - as the name suggests - white flowers.

Strelitzia is found naturally in South Africa, in South American countries such as Brazil and in Madagascar.

In their natural growth areas, the largest Strelitzias can grow over 10 meters high,

The leaves of Strelitzia get worn and lobed edges over time. In tropical regions, this makes them withstand wind better. Here in the cold north, it helps to give the plant a character of lived life.

The plant was named Strelitzia by the British biologist Joseph Banks, who named the plant after the Queen of Great Britain from 1761 to 1818 – Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.