strelitzia

First one this year, its in the greenhouse but the cloudy weather is not helping.

 

Amazing flower pete, looks like some great exotic bird.

 

Here we go, thats more like it! Do you find it is a booger for spider mites?

 

Thanks Liz, thats why its called "bird of paradise" a very apt name.
BM, its one of the few plants that I dont have red spider problems with.
I think it could be a problem with seedlings though.

 

Looks really good pete. They are really expensive to buy at flowering size!

 

Yeah,. They are, but over the years I have been forced to consign quite a few to the compost heap. When I built my conservatory I pulled down an old aluminium lean to greenhouse and I had growing in it a really large plant that had atleast ten or so flowers every year, some of them the double type, I had to dig it out and get rid of it.
It wasn't easy. :(

 

It's a beauty, definitely worth the wait. My Ravenala (travellers tree) has been attacked by red spider(and mealy bug) :( while I was not looking, preoccupied with the summer bedding, so I will have to attack them and quickly!

 

I've found my Strelitzia to be a good nursery for RSM, although it was always unaffected by them.

 

Wow, this is an old thread brought back to life. I have five 'birds' at the moment on my miniature plant so will take pics tomorrow and put up on Monday ... I guess on the 'new forum' ...

 

I'm doing the old posts again Victoria!
Quite interesting to see how some of the more senior members gardening interests have evolved too!

My seed grown one has its first spike coming along rather nicely............

 

Sheez, is it about seven years old now? Mine I did from seed six or so years ago that I gave to my friend has no spikes ... yet ....

I am an 'instant gardener' and bought mine many years ago, at quite a cost as it was already in bloom but then it was a Christmas present from my father who died in 2006.

 

The spike was spotted almost exactly seven years after the seed was sown!