With its heavenly flowers, the Strelitzia is one of the most coveted exotic ornamental plants. Here we have put together an overview of everything you need to know about cultivating South African beauty in your room or conservatory.

The exotic Strelizia inspires with its bird-head-like blossom

Table of Contents

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  1. importance
  2. growth
  3. leaves
  4. blossom
  5. heyday
  6. Draw
  7. Which location is suitable?
  8. What soil does the plant need?
  9. repot
  10. Pour Strelizia
  11. Cut Strelizie correctly
  12. brown leaves
  13. Diseases
  14. multiply Strelitzia
  15. Tip:
  16. sorts

    17. importance

    The name of the Strelitzia doesn't seem to fit its South African home at all - in any case, it sounds anything but African, but rather German. And this impression is not deceptive. At the end of the 18th century, the flower with the ornate-looking blossoms came to Joseph Banks, the director of the London Botanic Gardens, who discovered the exotic novelty of the wife of the current British King George III. adored. It was the German Sophie Charlotte von Mecklenburg-Strelitz - so it came about that the Strelitzia was named after a German noble family.

    The German, non-scientific name of the best-known species, the king's strelitzia, is, as usual, of a somewhat emotionally descriptive nature - it is also called the bird of paradise flower or parrot flower because its flower with the colourful, radiating bracts and bracts has the profile of an exotic bird's head resemble a long crest of feathers.
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    growth

    The Strelitzia is a perennial and grows with or without stem formation, depending on the variety. All species form horsts via rhizomes, i.e. round "nests" that do not spread widely via foothills. Strelitzia varieties vary in height between two and ten meters - so they can become very impressive plants. In this form, however, they can of course only be cultivated outdoors or in this country in large greenhouses of botanical gardens.

    Again at a glance:

    • shrub
    • some varieties with, some without stem formation
    • Heights between 2 and 10 meters

    leaves

    The tree-like Strelitzia form basal leaves in a two-row arrangement. They are very large, green, long-stalked and leathery in texture. They somewhat resemble the leaves of banana trees. The leaves of the rush Strelitzia have a slightly different appearance, namely a rush-like appearance: their long, needle-like fronds hardly have a leaf blade and are also much lighter green in colour.

    blossom

    The flower is certainly one of the most characteristic features of the Strelizia. The king's Strelitzia in particular is also very popular as a cut flower with its magnificent, artistically structured inflorescence.

    The botanical characteristics of the Strelitzia flower are its hermaphrodite sexual position, its zygomorphic structural symmetry and its trinity.

    The boat-shaped bract, which encloses the inflorescence in all varieties and forms the basis for the radiating overall structure, is particularly striking. In addition, the bract with a length of up to 10 centimeters ensures the impressive overall appearance of the flower. The bracts sitting on the bract are arranged in two circles, also pointed and long and each different in size.

    The colors also make the bird of paradise an attraction: the spectrum ranges from bright orange to corn yellow with individual strands in blue-purple or white with blue-green to ice-blue accents.

    The characteristics of the Strelitzia flower:

    • artful, plume-like structure reminiscent of an exotic bird's head
    • hermaphroditic, zygomorphic, threefold
    • large, boat-shaped bract
    • bright colors from orange-blue to white-blue

    heyday

    When it comes to flowering times, the first flowering of the Strelitzia is important - it only produces its first flowering at the age of about 4 years. The flowering phase usually lasts about 4 weeks and falls in a different phase of the year depending on the variety. In general, however, the flowering phase occurs in the first half of the year between December and October.

    The king's Strelitzia, for example, can already delight with its flowers at Christmas time if it is in a warm place in winter. If it's cooler, you can wait until early summer to do it.
    The rush Strelitzia, on the other hand, generally shows its flowers later, between May and October.

    To remember:

    • Strelizie flowers for the first time from the age of 4 years
    • Flowering phase about 4 weeks
    • Depending on the variety, the flowering phase falls between December and October

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    Draw

    If you want to keep a magnificent Strelitzia at home, as with all exotic southern plants, it is compulsory to have it in a bucket. Because the African beauty is not hardy, so she has to spend our frosty winter indoors. An alternative, which is perhaps less available to you as a hobby gardener, is an inner bed in the greenhouse or conservatory.

    What you also have to think about carefully is the choice of variety. Because they tree-like growing varieties can not be kept in the house or apartment. They are therefore most likely to be found in botanical gardens, where meter-high greenhouses (77.12€) are available.

    Of course, if you have a high conservatory, you can also consider growing a tree Strelitzia that is not quite as large. The white or mountain strelitzia are probably only suitable for cultivation in the public show greenhouse.
    Only the stemless species are suitable as indoor plants, namely the king's Strelitzia, which is considered to be the most beautiful and popular anyway, and the rush Strelitzia.

    • Strelitzia not hardy - indoor duty at least in winter
    • Tree-like growing Strelizia only suitable for owners of tall conservatories
    • stemless Strelizia suitable for indoor culture

    Which location is suitable?

    As a location, strelitzias prefer a bright, spacious place with moderate heat. Because even if they are not frost hardy, too high temperatures are not suitable for the local culture - they lead to growth and dimensions that are difficult to handle. It is best to offer your Strelitzia a temperature range between 8 and 18 °C. But it shouldn't be cooler in winter. Depending on its size, you can also place the plant outside in summer. However, avoid full sun.

    Important: After the flowers have opened, do not move the Strelitzia - this will stop flowering!

    Location:

    • Bright
    • not too cold and not too warm (8-18°C)
    • do not move after flower opening

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    What soil does the plant need?

    Strelitzias prefer a nutrient-rich soil with a certain amount of clay as a substrate - but good permeability must also be ensured, since their fleshy roots do not tolerate any waterlogging. It is best to prepare a mixture of loamy soil, mature compost, possibly some nourishing horse manure and some sand to loosen it up.

    repot

    Fortunately, the Strelitzie does not have to be repotted very often. With the sometimes stately sizes and the sensitive root ball, this is not a trivial undertaking. In most cases, the pot only needs to be changed every three years, and that less because of increasing narrowness than because of the depleted nutrients in the substrate - even with regular fertilization, the substrate will run out at some point. In the new pot you can fill a fresh soil mixture with organic long-term fertilizer such as compost and stable manure.

    But be extremely careful with the fleshy roots when repotting - the Strelizia does not tolerate injuries at the base.
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    Pour Strelizia

    You should water the Strelitzia regularly but moderately. The root ball should not dry out, as this can lead to leaf dropping. Waterlogging is even more harmful - in the long run, the roots can begin to rot. So always make sure that the root ball is somewhat dry before the next watering.

    Cut Strelizie correctly

    The Strelitzia does not need a great cut care. To keep it healthy and vital, it is sufficient to regularly remove the dried, old leaves. This way it gets enough light and air again for fresh development.
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    brown leaves

    Brown leaves are not always simply old and should therefore be cut out. They can also be an indication of care errors - but not of a specific disease or pest infestation. Usually the reasons for brown Strelitzia leaves are rather harmless.

    Possible reasons are:

    • draft
    • too dry or too wet substrate
    • over-fertilization
    • sunburn

    One reason could be a draft, for example. They don't like strelitzias at all and can react accordingly sensitively. So make sure the air is as calm as possible.

    A substrate that is too dry or too wet can be a bit more critical. Regular waterlogging can lead to root rot, which naturally affects the plant. If in doubt, repotting is then necessary.

    You should also not over-fertilize the Strelitzia - it can also react to this with brown leaves.

    Brown leaves may also simply be burnt leaves - especially if the Strelitzia is suddenly placed in the sun after winter quarters, it can suffer from sunburn.
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    Diseases

    In general, the Strelitzia is a pleasingly uncomplicated plant when it comes to diseases and pests. If she shows health problems, it is usually limited and has no real life-threatening or irremediable reasons. The main things that can bother her in general are the following:

    • Waterlogging - possibly Septoria fungus
    • dry, draughty room air
    • spider mites
    • scale insects

    As already mentioned, if the Strelitzia is exposed to waterlogging too often, the roots can rot and lead to brown leaves. In the worst, but rather rare case, an infestation of the Septoria fungus can also follow. Then you have to remove the affected, yellowish-brownish discolored leaves and, if necessary, apply a fungicide.

    In dry, drafty room air, the Strelitzia usually complains that the leaves turn brown. If so, change them if possible.

    But a spider mite infestation can also be caused by dry room air. The best way to combat spider mites is to spray and wrap the plant under foil. As a result, the pests usually die within a week.

    Scale insects ensure a brownish discoloration of the petioles and subsequent shedding of leaves. You should first collect the annoying parasites as thoroughly as possible and then spray the plant with a water-oil solution. She suffocates the scale insects. The
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    multiply Strelitzia

    Since the Strelitzia forms a clumpy rhizome root network, the best way to propagate is by dividing. To do this, take the plant out of its pot in the spring and cut off part of the root ball and the corresponding above-ground part of the plant from the mother plant. Put it in its own pot with a nutrient-rich, well-drained substrate. Before that, the roots should be dusted with charcoal powder - this prevents root rot.

    You should not initially place the divided young plant in full sun. Water regularly, but avoid waterlogging in any case. After about 5 weeks you can transplant the young Strelitzia into a new pot and continue cultivating as usual.
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    Tip:

    As mentioned in several of the previous sections, the Strelitzia tolerates dry indoor air poorly, protests with brown leaves and is more susceptible to scale insect infestation. You should therefore ensure a permanently high level of humidity. So that you don't have to constantly actively humidify the air when cultivating in the living area, simply choose the right room: the humidity in the kitchen or bathroom is usually higher than in the living room or bedroom. In addition, the exotic strelitzia blossom can create an attractive oasis atmosphere, especially in the bathroom!

    sorts

    The range of varieties of the genus Strelitzia is manageable. There are exactly 5 types:

    King Strelitzia (Strelitzia reginae)

    It is probably the most beautiful and best-known of the Strelitzia species. Hence her royal name. However, it is also called the bird of paradise flower because of its particularly magnificent, large flower, the radiating structure of which is reminiscent of a long beak and a comb-like plume. The blooms last about 4 weeks between December and May and are bright orange with dark blue accents on the lower bracts. As a stemless species of Strelitzia, it only grows to about 2 meters.

    Rush Strelitzia (Strelitzia juncea)

    With its long, grass-like, needle-shaped, almost bladeless leaf fronds, the rush Strelitzia is probably the most unusual species among the Strelitzia and is particularly suitable for grass lovers in terms of appearance. In addition to the king's Strelitzia, it is the second stemless species and can be cultivated well in the room. She is only about 2 meters tall. Its flowers are also very similar to those of the king's Strelitzia. However, they appear much later in the year, between May and October.

    White Strelitzia (Strelitzia alba)

    Its name already suggests that this species of Strelitzia delights with white flowers. Like the orange ones, these also have blue accents in the lower part of the petals, but mostly in a much lighter tone. The flowers appear between May and June. The white Strelitzia is one of the three trunk-forming, i.e. tree-like growing varieties. It can grow up to 10 meters tall, making it less suitable for home cultivation and more suitable for large greenhouses.

    Tree Strelitzia (Strelitzia nicolai)

    With the tree Strelitzia we come to the second stem-forming Strelitzia species. With a maximum growth height of 12 meters, it is the tallest of all, and its palm-like fronds are particularly large. It goes without saying that it is also not suitable for indoor pot cultivation. In our latitudes, it produces its mostly white-blue flowers when cultivated in a greenhouse between April and July, in the wild in southern regions it can bloom all year round about blooming.

    Mountain Strelitzia (Strelitzia caudata)

    With a still moderate growth height of up to 6 meters, this is the smallest stem-forming Strelitzia species that can also be kept in a high, private conservatory. In this country, their flowers usually appear in the spring and early summer months and are conspicuous for their deep blue, rarely white, bracts.

Category:

Indoor plants