My garden has suffered over the last few months as I haven't been able to get out and look after it. So some corners are looking more like a tropical jungle than ever! Yesterday when I was looking around in one of these places and wondering where to start I found that my large Bird of Paradise had its first flower and I hadn't even seen it! The regular orange and blue flowered Bird of Paradise is the Strelitzia reginae. This one is the Strelitzia nicolai and has these beautiful white and blue flowers. It is a much taller growing plant and at present is well over head height. Well - that's one part of the garden that needs dealing with ASAP! Maybe even today!
Well, here's something new to me. I knew about the orange / blue variety but I don't think I've seen the white / blue variety before.
ReplyDeleteA friend gave me a small Strelitzia reginae for my birthday last year not realising they need a bit of coddling here. Surprisingly it survived the Winter in the unheated conservatory so it may well reach flowering age yet. I seem to remember they don't flower until they reach 5 yrs old.
Hi John, I think they flower before that - at least my orange/blue ones did. And even though these white/blue ones have been slower a friend had hers flower in just a couple of years. But then she looks after her garden differently - more fertilizer and water! I hope the one in your conservatory flowers for you.
ReplyDeleteThat is stunningly beautiful. You definitely need to show this one off. FAB
ReplyDeleteHi Frank, well that corner of the garden is now much tidier - it took a couple of hours of hard work - but I will now be able to see any other flowers!
ReplyDeleteOh, that one's a beauty. I remember seeing a grove of S. nicolai in Perth (in Nedlands, IIRC). Tall and graceful and all in flower. Very speccy.
ReplyDeleteHi Snail, A whole grove of these flowers would be beautiful. I am told they keep spreading - so maybe in time!
ReplyDeleteHi John, thank you for the comment on my blog.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, I grew up with S.nicolai all over the place - they love the subtropical climate of eastern and northeastern southern Africa.
I think you are going to get a pleasant surprise when the seeds ripen...
(if you have never seen them before, that is)
Dale
http://alpinebirds.blogspot.com