Giant Bird of Paradise (strelitzia nicolai)

[Big Tex]

We have had this Giant White Bird of Paradise planted for about 2 years not. It is producing its first flower. They start much the same as a banana flower starts. Note the small leaf that is produced before the flower emerges. Just like a banana. I also have about 7 pups I need to dig up this spring when they are bigger.

[Xavierdlc61887]

awesome i got a banana plant flagging as well....musa manzano ill get a pic and show u!!! it looks the same k well good job and collect the seeds if it produces any!!

[Xavierdlc61887]

this was 1/5/09

this is today 1/11/09

hahaha sorry for stealing your page and using it to post my pics k well ill take em off if they bother

[Big Tex]

this was 1/5/09

hahaha sorry for stealing your page and using it to post my pics k well ill take em off if they bother

No problem........I had 4 banana trees with fruit before Ike. All of the biggest, including the 4 with fruit got taken out. Now all I have is bananas that are about fence level. It may be a season or two before I get bananas again.

[Xavierdlc61887]

when the fruit is ready....if u want ill send u a bunch....5-10 bananas

[John Case]

Tex,

Mine flowered this year and it was quite an exhibition; the flowering, trhat is, not the flower, whicvh is pretty plain by BOP strandards.

The flower spike curved in esses and a flower was on each outward curve. The spike lasted quite a while, over a month and was interesting to me, at least. The grandkids had no interest at all.

As to pupping, I removed all of my pups in order ot have a specimen look. Not many of them had any roots at all. I planted them all and put them in a grenhouse.....they all survived, to my amazement. I gave them all to my garden club for their plant sale in May.

Congrats!

[SubTropicRay]

Nice plant that is relatively maintenance free and gives you the true sub-tropical feeling.

[Big Tex]

Tex,

Mine flowered this year and it was quite an exhibition; the flowering, trhat is, not the flower, whicvh is pretty plain by BOP strandards.

The flower spike curved in esses and a flower was on each outward curve. The spike lasted quite a while, over a month and was interesting to me, at least. The grandkids had no interest at all.

As to pupping, I removed all of my pups in order ot have a specimen look. Not many of them had any roots at all. I planted them all and put them in a grenhouse.....they all survived, to my amazement. I gave them all to my garden club for their plant sale in May.

Congrats!

Thanks! I looked at the plant again yesterday and found 3 more flowers getting ready to pop up.

[edric]

I never thin mine out, it's been there ten years now at least, they like to be misted whenever the humidity is below about 75% or so, Ed