New Bird Of Paradise....

After looking at the photos posted on the S.juncea thread I've been yearning for another plant. My first one I had for several years. It was a single crown but had huge, paddle leaves and was taller than me! It produced a single flower head every year without fail and I was so proud of it. Sadly, during the process of moving home my parents left it outside and it suffered a bad frost. It never recovered.

Today I was at Vale Exotics in Evesham, and they had several for sale. They had reginae and nicolai available in all sizes, and my partner decided to treat me for my pending birthday to a clump of reginae, with 2 developing flower spikes.

The plant is much smaller than I'm used to seeing and the leaves are like small spoons. Will they remain that way or will the newer leaves become larger?





What is the minimum temperature for these guys? I have an Unheated conservatory, and in most years it stays above zero, but it has dipped just below on very rare occasions. Would it be safer to keep in the house during winter?

 

It looks a good plant to me, I think the smaller leaves are a sign of root restriction which makes the plant flower earlier.
I'd hazard a guess that you actually have two plants there in one pot?
Newer leaves will be bigger if you repot, but at the same time, if you repot it might not flower for a couple of years.

Its a balancing act, too much room and it wont flower, too little and the flowers and leaves will be small and stunted.
As to temperature, down to zero for a couple of hours is OK, if the plant is acclimatised.

 

I got one as well look more pointed then yours and more leaves with 3 flower forming and 3 crowns , it come from Italy , was £24.99



How much did you pay for your if you don`t mind asking me ????

 

It has 3 crowns altogether, one is in the process of splitting in two.

It was quite restricted, the pot had split and there where huge roots sticking out the bottom. The new pot I've put it in is only slightly larger.

Sal, it was £35.

 

Mine was £65 3week back and is approx 5ft 4/6inch i height(birthday present) its still in the greenhouse and looks ok,still flowering
Pic when i bought it..

new flower in greenhouse..

you got a bargain at that price x

 

Sal - I think yours was a real bargain. I bought quite a big one a few days ago. I have looked at it more closely today and can see some old stalks coming out from between the leaves. It has recently been repotted - but I am hoping the old stalks mean that it has already flowered once - so is more likely to do so again.

Victoria showed some pictures of a S. nicolai outdoors in Portugal. It was huge. Is there any merit in growing it? I understand its slower growing and more difficult to flower.

 

Yes , actually is one of the most cold hardy , where I come from I`ve seen them covered in snow for a short period , that would make it perfect for who got a tall greehouse , kept in pot can still reach 8/12 feet , but the flower are nothing compere to the strelitzia .

 

Sal,
That looks like Strelitzia nicholai.
It gets huge. Up to 3 meters tall, maybe more.
And forms very big clumps.

The flower shape is the same as the other Strelitzias. But the colour is different. Just blue and white.

 

S.nicholai not in a pot is huge. Here's a crappy pic of the one at OBG which at a guess is six or seven metres? The leaves themselves when mature must be the best part of 2.5/3metres!


The flowers are nothing special unless it's yours!

 

Thanks Sal and Sirius. I have seen S. nicolai seeds around occasionally. The more I chat with you guys, the more i am being converted to the view that shape, size and greenery have their merits as well as flowers. So I might try some one day. But it still comes down to space.

 

PeterS,
IMO, there are far better plants to have than this.
It probably won't flourish and grow to its best potential in a pot.

 

I find it very hard to believe that plant actually grew all its life in that small pot.
I'd be inclined to think it was grown in a nursery, then potted up, removing large amounts of root in the process.
So it would probably just stand still and do very little for a long time, eventually withering away and removed once it looks rubbish.

 

Here are some taken from my friend's first floor balcony two years ago of ones in her next-door neighbours small garden ...









I still live in hope mine may flower this year ...


My miniature S reginae has three blooms, one starting to 'bend' ready for opening.

 

Pete , trust me on this , seen them and they even flowering in pot , this plant in the soil can easy reach 5/7 meters , seen in pot at 3 meters .
Of course all this happen in hot warm country , over here I reckon will take years and years before reach 6/8 feet .....and i don`t think will ever flowering

overall e great foliage




I`m actually waiting to go back to Italy and robbing my aunty

 

I dont doubt what you say Sal.
I know they get big, (I have seen them myself), the very reason why I dont think you would ever grow a plant that size in a pot from seed.
They must be divisions of larger clumps which are potted up, and surely the pot life in such crowded root conditions must be limited.