Birds of Paradise

Thanks for the input, DaveP. I do have lots of info on them and the 30cm pot is only for this next year. I'll keep in mind what you say, though.

Looking back it's Thompson Morgan calling them Black and they say "....makes a superb containter plant in a conservatory." Actually, most of the sites about them say for entrance halls, conservatories, etc.

I'll patiently wait .... :rolleyes:

 

If I had the right climate, there's no way I would attempt to grow that in a pot.
Its a bit like growing an oak tree in apot over here, its never going to reach it full potential.
T&M are probably selling seed knowing that most people will have to settle for a few exotic looking leaves in the UK.

 

Having surveyed our "vast estate" we cannot come up with anywhere to plant the S nicolai. We said we could dig up our Myoporum (now 2 metres tall) and plant it there, but there's a large Oleander to one side and a ruby grapefruit tree to the other, both which need space.

The S regina is in a 35cm pot and thriving so we made a joint executive decision and went and bought a 47cm pot and re-planted the S nicolai into it, taking an extra 50 lites of substrata.

We thought we had a banana plant as we had seen them at the garden centre a few days before and because I wanted one, t'other half went and got it. He did ask the salesgirl what it's Latin name wa and was told Estrelicia Nicolai. When I looked it up I was going to take it back as we have the one BoP (plus my four little ones I've done from seed) but t'other half said no, we'll keep it. If we only get banana-like leaves, so be it :( flowers will be a bonus!

 

Yes I see your problem, if I had the climate, I'd probably struggle to accomidate it, never got enough space.

 

I'll keep you posted! I've got four "birds" coming on the regina ... t'other half says they're more leaves unrolling but I say no .. "birds" ... camera's ready and waiting ...
it's about time for them to start blooming! :rolleyes: we tend to have them for Christmas. Nice pressies!

 

I'm struggling at the moment with three boistrous nicolai seedlings they are about 2ft 6 in tall in their 3rd year I doubt if I will be able to keep repotting them but I don't think they would survive the winter outside

 

Morning, walnut. Guess you did yours from seed? I've got four S regina done from seed last year.

My was bought in flower already the Christmas of 2004 and, as you can read above, just got the S nicolai, guess it's about 4ft tall, but don't know it's age.

Nicolai can take much lower temperatures than Regina, down to perhaps 20oF, will suffer leaf damage at about 28oF but will recover.

 

Yes LoL done from seed looks like they will have to go in the cool greenhouse along with the palms,brugs,dats,ferns,plumerias and gingers

 

Oohh, walnut, that cool greenhouse sounds wonderful and cool!

Just re-read, meant to say my S regina was bought in flower ... was rushing, going out today, sorry!

 

Where did you get that info on nicolai, L of L.
It could refer to a sudden one off drop in temperature as opposed to night after night of frost, which we can get.

 

Two sources, Pete ...

http://www.floridata.com/ref/s/stre_nic.cfm

http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/trees/STRNICA.pdf

As to the "perhaps 20oF", I must admit I cannot find where I read that ... I can't even find the Thompson-Morgan page now where they called it a Black BoP! I may have taken that from the documents saying USDA zone 9 and if this is incorrect, then I apologise.

 

Yes, I see the first one says near frost free climates and then goes on to say OK down to 28F.
I'm sure this is to do with the US hardiness zones, which when applied to the UK are really confusing.
They probably fit in more, in your climate, than ours.

 

That's probably true! UK's zones are weird ... in my "bible" all around the coast of Ireland and the coasts of the UK are listed as 9, central Ireland and England and most of Scotland are 8 and one spot in the centre of Scotland is 7! I don't believe that as the zone bands are east to west not circular! :eek:

Perhaps I should think of the UK before I speak in future!

The second site also says the same on the last page.

 

I think its best to ignore US zones when comparing with the UK, I think I'm in zone 8 or 9, but the climate is nothing like the zone 8 or 9 in the US. :confused:

 

Concorde is ready for take off ... the first of at least six BoPs coming out this year ...