Species · genus Strelitzia · Strelitziaceae

Bird-Of-Paradise Tree

Strelitzia nicolai Regel & Körn.

Also known as: Natal Wild Banana · White Bird-of-paradise · Coastal Strelitzia · Giant Bird-of-paradise Flower · Giant Bird-of-paradise Tree

Growth habit

tree

Native range

Botswana, KwaZulu-Natal, Mozambique, Zimbabwe

Reference · S. nicolai

Cultivars of S. nicolai

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under S. nicolai yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

Strelitzia nicolai is a large, tree-forming species from the warm subtropical regions of southern Africa, where it grows as a robust evergreen in open, well-lit settings. It takes the brightest indirect light you can offer and tolerates a few hours of gentle direct sun once established, but appreciates protection from harsh midday glare indoors. Let the top two inches of mix dry before watering, then water deeply; its thick stems and roots store moisture, so erring toward dry is far safer than keeping it sodden.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 14 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

15–29 °C

Soil mix

Rich, loamy, well-draining mix

Propagation

Division or rhizome sections

Fertilizing

Balanced feed monthly in the growing season

Growth rate

Fast

Flowering

Rarely flowers indoors; grown for its bold banana-like foliage

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs

Bird of paradise — toxic seeds/pods; mild nausea, drowsiness, vomiting. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

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Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ASPCA

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Bird-Of-Paradise Tree yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.