Nicolau

Strelitzia Nicolai

White Bird of Paradise; Wild Banana

• 
  Bright light
• 
  Easy care

• Nicolau likes...
  • 
    Regular watering

    He likes his soil moist, particularly in the warm months. Give him a drink whenever his top two inches of soil are dry.

  • 
    Bright light

    He loves the sun. Loves it. Put him somewhere that will get him as much bright, indirect light as possible. He’s not made for shade.

  • 
    Humidity

    He really enjoys a moist environment, so mist him regularly to keep his leaves in tip-top condition.

• Quick facts

  Botanical name

  Strelitzia nicolai

  Nickname

  Wild banana; white bird of paradise

  Plant type

  Evergreen perennial, indoor

  Air purifying

  Yes

  Plant height (including pot)

  60-80cm; 90-100cm; 130-140cm

  Pet/baby safe

  Mildly toxic if ingested

  Nursery pot size

  19cm; 21cm; 35cm

• About wild bananas

  Despite the name, this is not a banana tree. It gets its popular name because its leaves look very similar to those of a banana tree, not because it bears any yellow fruit.

  Its other, more fitting, nickname is white bird of paradise, because of the enormous, exotic flowers that bloom on very mature plants in the wild. It’s rare for plants to flower indoors, but it is possible. If you’d like a flowering bird of paradise, we recommend Nicolau’s cousinReggie.

  In the wild, this plant grows on hot, coastal parts of Africa and Mexico. It likes to bask in full sun, so when growing it at home keep it somewhere that enjoys lots of natural light and doesn’t get too cold. It’s a fast grower, so may need repotting about every three years. It will also benefit from a feed with a liquid fertiliser once per month in spring and summer. It's a big plant that needs food to grow.

  Did you know?

  It takes a very long time for wild bananas to flower. Typically a plant won’t bloom until it’s at least six years old.