Strelitzia flower looks like the head of a bird of paradise with a colorful tuft, and the green leaves are spread like wings, so it seems that it soars in the air.
Strelitzia Description
Amazingly beautiful flower was first discovered by the British, who visited South Africa at the end of the 18th century. The plant so impressed their imagination that they gave it a name in honor of the wife of King Charlotte, virgin Sterlitz as a girl.
Strelitzia in nature grows along the banks of rivers on fertile sandy soil
In the wild, this two-meter long perennial bush grows along the banks of drying streams and small rivers, among tall grasses and shrubs that shade it from the scorching sun. The soil in those places is fertile, but at the same time loose, sandy. Without its paradise flowers, the plant is unremarkable.
The leaves are oblong-elliptic up to 45 cm long and up to 20 cm wide, held on a long petiole. The color of the leaves is dark green, the surface is leathery, veins are visible on the underside.
Strelitzia without its beautiful and unusual colors looks decorative, but not bright
The most amazing part of the plant is the unusual shape of the flowers. They appear only in adult plants and last up to several weeks. The inflorescence bud resembles a long straight beak, located horizontally. The upper part of the "beak" gradually opens and flowers begin to appear from the side of the petiole. In one such 15 - centimeter bud there are 10 - 5 flowers of bright colors with an abundance of nectar. An adult plant can alternately produce up to 7 peduncles, so flowering lasts up to six months, and when cut, the flowers will stand in a vase for up to a month.
Strelitzia flower resembles the head of a paradise bird with a crest
Strelitzia became an adornment of greenhouses, but easy enough to maintain and for indoor maintenance. The large size and long growth period before abundant flowering make it truly exotic.
Designers are very fond of adding Strelitzia to bouquets and interior compositions.
Varieties
In nature, there are 5 types of strelitzia, which differ in size: from two to 10-meter height with leaves from 40 to 80 centimeters.
- Royal Strelitzia, the local African people nicknamed the crane. It reaches a height of two meters, 2 times a year in spring and autumn produces peduncles with orange and blue flowers. It is difficult to propagate, with rare lateral processes only from adult plants.
- Strelitzia is a reed, a hardy plant that can withstand extreme heat and drought, as well as lower temperatures, down to zero. The flowers resemble the royal Strelitzia in color, but differ in the shape of the leaves - they are needle-shaped. Distributed in eastern South Africa.
- Strelitzia mountain - tree up to 10 meters. Large leaves and white flowers. In indoor floriculture is not grown.
- Strelitzia Nicholas - was named in honor of the Russian Emperor Nicholas. It looks like a royal strelitzia, but reaches a height of 12 meters. Leaves 80 cm wide and up to 200 cm long, white and blue flowers.
- Strelitzia Augustus also called white Strelitzia. It features light green leaves and white flowers. It grows with a bush up to 1 meter in height, blooms from January to March, propagated by seeds and division of the bush. Often grown in greenhouses.
Photo Gallery: Strelitzia varieties
- Reed Strelitzia with orange flowers and needle leaves
- Royal Strelitzia is most often found in greenhouses, it has orange and blue petals, the leaves are large, oval
- Mountain Strelitzia grows up to 10 meters in height, flowers - white
- Strelitzia Nicholas with white petals and blue-violet perianth
- Strelitzia Augustus grows to 1 meter, also called white Strelitzia
In open ground, Strelitzia can be seen not only in Africa, it is successfully grown on the Mediterranean coast, in Argentina, even in the USA - in Los Angeles. In Russia and other countries with frosty winters, Strelitzia grows only in greenhouses or in apartments.
Strelitzia grows outdoors in warm winters
Room Conditions
The plant is large, but in the room rarely grows above 1.5 meters. Decorative all year round.
Strelitzia can be grown in a large enclosed florarium. But it will be necessary to pick up plants that need dry, cool contents in the winter. In this case, the pot with the plant can simply be put there.
To grow Strelitzia in the florarium, you will need a lot of space, for example, a shower
Table: containment conditions
| Parameter | Autumn winter | Spring Summer |
| Lighting | Bright light, direct sunlight, growing in partial shade | |
| Humidity | Normal indoor, dust wipe | |
| Temperature | 14-15 degrees, but with additional lighting it grows at room temperature | Suitable room temperature, preferably outdoor |
| Watering | When kept cool, lean | Abundant |
Landing and transplanting
Strelitzia has large fragile rod roots, so you need to be careful when planting and transplanting. Adult plants are transplanted every 2-3 years, as needed.
Strelitzia prefers heavy loamy nutrient soil. For cooking, take sheet, turfy earth, compost, humus and some sand. On 2 parts of the earth and 2 parts of compost and humus add 1 part of sand.
Due to the nature of the root system, it is advisable to take a tall pot. Unlike other plants, Strelitzia blooms faster in a spacious flowerpot or tub.
Strelitzia will grow poorly in such a small pot
Since the roots of the plant are fragile, it is better to use transshipment instead of transplantation, especially for young plants. If Strelitzia is large, adult, and it has lateral processes, then combine the transplant with reproduction - dividing the bush.
Procedure:
- Choose a suitable pot, larger than the previous one.
- At the bottom we lay a layer of expanded clay drainage up to 4-5 cm thick. Then we pour a handful of fresh soil.
- Turn the pot over and pull out the strelitzia, holding it between your fingers and holding the soil with your palm.
- We place the plant in a new pot, sprinkle with earth on the side. Water lightly.
Video: Transshipment of Strelitzia
About transplant after purchase
Strelitzia, sold in stores, is often grown from seeds in warm countries, and brought in a transport pot and soil, so transplant such a plant immediately. In this case, the "bird of paradise" is not pulled out of the pot, but cut the pot with scissors. Use caution if plant roots emerge from drainage holes. If the spine nevertheless breaks off, then sprinkle the wound with crushed activated carbon and let it dry. Further actions, as when transplanting a plant.
Strelitzia roots are large, fleshy and very fragile
As a rule, a properly planted plant keeps its shape well, leaves grow up and the bush does not fall apart, maintaining compactness and not needing support.
Care
Despite the unusual flowering, Strelitzia does not require additional conditions.
Choosing a place in the room
If the "bird of paradise" is not grown in greenhouses, but in an apartment, then it is better to provide the flower with a bright, bright place, with direct sunlight. But it can be located a meter from the window. In summer, the plant is better to take out on the balcony, the street. It is advisable even in the room to create differences in day and night temperatures.
Watering and feeding
Watering should be plentiful and regular only in the spring-summer season, slightly drying the top layer of the soil, but it is important to prevent stagnation of water in the pot. In winter, when kept cool, strelitzia is rarely watered. It is important to observe the irrigation regime for young plants so that the root system develops faster.
Top dressing is carried out 2 times a month with fertilizers for decorative flowering plants. It is better to use liquid top dressing, combining them with watering. In winter, Strelitzia is not fertilized.
Liquid fertilizer for flowering plants is easy to use and very effective.
Flowering bird of paradise
A plant grown from seeds blooms for 5-6 years, and propagated by root processes in the third year. Abundant flowering occurs in adult 5-6 year old plants, and only with good lighting. If in winter Strelitzia has enough daylight, then flower stalks will be produced regularly, year-round.
It is very important to let a powerful root system develop. So, a 1.5-meter plant should be planted in a pot with a diameter of more than 25 cm.
Blooming Strelitzia feels good in a deep pot
When peduncles appear, they do not rearrange and do not move it. To stimulate adult Strelitzia to bloom, provide it with a cool dry content for 2-3 months, this contributes to the laying of flower buds. This period coincides with the beginning of autumn and a reduction in the length of daylight hours. In February, the temperature is raised from 15 degrees to 22 and watered more often, and after 2 weeks the plant is fed.
Flower stalks appear gradually, buds also open: bright crests flare up one after another over a green bush. In nature, strelitzia is pollinated by butterflies-nectaries, and in birds that fly up to feast on nectar, the plant “shoots” pollen, sharply revealing anthers.
Strelitzia flower attracts pollinators with brightly colored petals and sweet nectar
In a room, strelitzia is pollinated if several plants bloomed at the same time. Then pollen is transferred from one flower to another. Knotted seeds have low germination, only 1 out of 10 seeds will give a root.
Strelitzia seeds are quite large, located in a box that cracks after ripening
If the seeds are not tied, then the peduncle is removed immediately when the petals dry.
Also, exotic flowering is valued medinilla. You can find out how to provide her with decent care at home from the material: //diz-cafe.com/rastenija/medinilla-kak-obespechit-ej-dostojnyj-uxod-v-domashnix-usloviyax.html
Rest period
Typically, the rest period occurs both in the wild and in apartments. Strelitzia, which grew on a balcony or on the street in summer, needs a warm room, since already at a temperature of 10 degrees a delicate plant is damaged, and at zero degrees it dies.
Winter cool content is useful for laying flower buds for the next flowering, therefore it is better to contain Strelitzia at 15-18 degrees Celsius with limited watering and without top dressing. If it is not possible to lower the temperature to the required, then provide Strelitzia for a long day, using the backlight in the evening with phytolamps, LED or fluorescent.
Indoor species do not have a trunk, leaves grow from the ground, root offspring are formed rarely and only in adult plants, so there is no need for any actions to form a bush. You can cut off dry, old, yellow leaves.
Table: Care Errors
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
| Does not bloom |
|
|
| Drops buds | Pot movement | During the extension of the peduncles it is not recommended to move the plant |
| Slow growth |
|
|
| Black or brown spots on the leaves, rotting of the stem | Watering with cold water, overflowing plants | Strelitzia is sensitive to stagnation of moisture in the soil. If rot stems are found, then the plant is dug up, the roots are inspected and the affected areas are cut out, sprinkled with crushed activated carbon. Then planted in fresh soil, watering rarely. |
Diseases and pests of Strelitzia - table
| Pest | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention |
| Shield | Small tubercles of brown-golden color, settling on the petioles of leaves and peduncles. The juice is sucked, so the leaf is bent, the plant withers. | The shield is covered with strong scales, so spraying does not help much. It is necessary to remove pests manually, prying them with a needle, and wash the plant with soap and water, protecting the earth from this solution. | As a prevention of sucking pests, long-acting sticks, for example, Spark, Agricola, are inserted into the pot. |
| Aphid | Most often, you can see in the summer on plants standing in the open. | Spray with Fitoverm, breeding according to the instructions. Processing is carried out every 5-7 days. | |
| Spider mite | It multiplies rapidly in dry, warm rooms, the plant is covered with a thin cobweb, the leaves turn into yellow speck |
Photo Gallery: Strelitzia pests
- With the timely detection of aphids on strelitzia, the plant will suffer minimal damage
- The shield is covered with a strong shell, so it must be removed mechanically, and the plant itself should be washed with soapy water
- The spider mite sucks the juice from the plant, the leaf becomes light, speckled, spreads very quickly in a dry room
- For the prevention of sucking insects, it is better to insert special sticks in the pot
Strelitzia reproduction
Strelitzia propagates by seeds, root offspring and sometimes dividing the bush. But after such operations, the mother plant ceases to bloom for several years. The best way is seed propagation. They quickly lose their germination capacity, so when buying, see the date, and then immediately proceed to planting. Usually a tenth of the seeds germinate. Strelitzia seeds have a hard shell and a bright orange fluff.
Growing Strelitzia from Seeds
- Buy seeds at the store and prepare the pot and soil.
Strelitzia seeds can be bought at the flower shop
- Tear off the orange ponytails with your hands and soak the seeds for a day in warm spring, thawed or rainwater. The season does not matter. You can file a seed with sandpaper.
All Strelitzia seeds have an orange fluff
- Germination soil - clean sand, you can add a little universal peat-based mixture for purchase. After a day, plant the soaked seeds in pots, sprinkle with sand and slightly moisturize, it is advisable to select an individual pot for each seed, since seedlings appear unevenly.
Each seed is planted in a separate pot
- We wrap it with a bag from drying and place it in a dark and warm place with a temperature of about 25 degrees. Be patient.
Pots are placed in a bag so that there is increased humidity and heat
- Seeds germinate from month to year, but once a week, view and ventilate the plantings; if the sand has dried up, spray from the spray gun.
- Transfer the appeared bores to the light, but do not open the greenhouse immediately. Accustom the plant to the dry air of the apartment gradually, raising the film for 10-15 minutes.
- Water the Strelitzia in a tablespoon every 2-3 days.
- When the first 3-4 leaves develop in seedlings, conduct the first transplant into nutrient soil. We take a small pot, we handle the roots carefully, since damage can lead to stunted growth.
Appearing sprouts gradually accustom to the dry air of the apartment
- Transplant seedlings that have reached the age of two into permanent pots and wait another 4 years for the onset of flowering.
Propagation by side shoots
Sometimes lateral shoots appear on the plant. They can be carefully separated when the roots appear, and then transplanted into separate pots. The bottom of the pots is covered with drainage, then with soil, a plant is planted and kept at a temperature of about 22 degrees, monitoring the moisture of the soil and preventing overmoistening.
Strelitzia grown by dividing a large bush or from a lateral process grows slowly. Flowering can be expected no earlier than in 2-3 years.
Florist reviews
She began to “transship”, and there she discovered rotten roots as well - in general, there was no “surgical intervention”, and since I had to gut the roots anyway, I planted them in different pots. And in the store such fellows — apparently the roots climbed through the drainage holes — and they just cut them off. As a result, the holes are clogged with roots, so she is poor thing and began to rot.
Natusya Regular//forum.bestflowers.ru/t/strelitcija-strelitzia-korolevskaja.5309/
For several years in a row I tried to grow royal Strelitzia from seeds. Attempt No. 4 failed. Sowed a "bird of paradise" in July, after soaking the seeds for 5 days (or so). In general, I did everything as it was written on the package. Shoots were expected earlier than after 1-2 months, as to speed up the germination, she made a scarification. As a result, 3 months passed after planting, and no seedlings were expected. Once again, she was upset; they completely forgot about the pot of seeds. He was discovered in mid-October, in a corner under the sink. A small 0.5 cm was visible on the surface of the earth. A pale green spike! Joy knew no bounds !!! I had sprouting royal strelitzia as much as 3.5 (!!!!!) months. Of the three seeds, only 1 sprouted. Now the baby has grown stronger and drinks filtered water in moderation.
Evgenia Anatolyevna//irecommend.ru/content/kak-ya-stala-obladatelnitsei-ekzoticheskogo-rasteniya-3-foto
In the spring, she acquired several Strelitzia Royal Seedera brands. Royal Strelitzia propagates only by seeds, it is impossible to grow it from cuttings and it does not give layering or they do not take root. I planted each seed in a separate cup, I took special soil from the store. Well spilled the earth with settled water, immersed seeds about a centimeter somewhere, covered it with glass. She planted on May 15, after which she prepared to wait a long time, because according to some information of the seedlings, the seed may be in 4-6 months. Two sprouts emerged in a month and then a third. I transplanted them in larger containers and they began to slowly develop. Then one more pecked out. I hope at least one plant survives to adulthood.
Tanya Tanina//irecommend.ru/content/vyrastit-strelitsiyu-iz-semyan-edinstvennyi-sposob-ee-razmnozheniya-no-naiti-khoroshie-semen
I also grow my Strelitzia from a seed. She is now 3.5 years old. Height 55 cm, diameter of the pot 15 cm. No need to give free rein to the roots, otherwise it will really have to be transplanted into the tub very soon, and this will not accelerate growth and flowering. If you notice, she has all the carrot roots at the bottom of the pot, mostly located in rings (or do you still have one?), And in the upper part there are much fewer, and these are mostly thin roots. Let her root-carrots master the "upper" space! So feel free to plant in "tight" pots, but try not to damage the thick roots, they are fragile enough! In my opinion, the plant is almost seamless. It has never been affected by pests, spraying is not required, the tips of the leaves do not dry. One “but” should be watered carefully ... I transplanted mine into fresh soil at the end of August (it included peat, be it out of place!), After a month of the most accurate watering in the pallet, I saw every creeping creature :(. I had to re-transplant into normal soil with made it on time - some of the roots have already begun to rot.
Admin//homeflowers.ru/yabbse/index.php?showtopic=138
About four years ago I bought Strelitzia seeds: two sachets, they contained four seeds. And I did not process it with anything - I just put the seeds into the ground and that’s it. Three of them ascended quickly, and the fourth remained to sit in the ground. Now my Strelitzia is already big enough ... two years ago I bought a friend also two bags (four seeds), they came from her ... she needs light, regular watering and top dressing.
Arshi Local//www.flowersweb.info/faq/strelitzia.php
Video: Tips for Bird Care
Strelitzia - "bird of paradise" - a rare beauty, grown, most often in greenhouses than in apartments. Unpretentious, easy to care for, with proper maintenance, blooms beautifully and continuously.
