Giant Bird of Paradise for a Low-Water Tropical Look
Strelitzia nicolai, the giant bird of paradise, is one of our absolute favorite plants for Bay Area gardens. We almost always have this beauty in stock at our retail nursery in San Francisco, and we grow it ourselves down in Southern California! Read on to learn more about why we love this plant.
The giant bird of paradise—sometimes known as “banana leaf plant” or “banana palm” (although it is neither a palm nor a banana!)—can grow both indoors and outdoors here in the Bay Area. It has a lovely breezy tropical look, but unlike most tropical-style plants, it doesn’t need much water to thrive once it’s established. So it’s a great choice for drought-prone areas and low-water gardens!
As an outdoor plant, the “banana palm” is surprisingly versatile. Strelitzia nicolai will grow in a range of light conditions, from rather deep shade to full sun.
We grow Strelitzia nicolai ourselves at our growing grounds in Southern California. These are the babies in a production crop (pictured above)!
The giant bird of paradise makes a great screening plant, perfect for a place where you need lushness and height for privacy. It looks beautiful combined with palms, or with the smaller varieties of Strelitzia like Strelitzia reginae or Strelitzia juncea.
This plant has a burly root system, so it should be planted at least three feet away from pipes, walls, and other structures. Keep the plant tidy by removing spent leaves and also thinning out suckers and shoots (especially as they venture close to structures).
Giant bird of paradise or “banana palm” at our retail garden store in San Francisco
You can grow Strelitzia nicolai in a large pot; it’s an excellent addition to a container garden on a terrace or patio. Just be careful about the wind! This plant has an interesting adaption to severe winds—the leaves shred into strips instead of just getting torn off—which means that the leaves will get shredded in a windy garden.
As long as you have a very bright location, giant bird of paradise can be grown indoors as well! Click here to read more about growing Strelitzia nicolai inside as a houseplant.
At Flora Grubb Gardens plant store in San Francisco, we almost always have Strelitzia nicolai in stock for indoors and outdoors. Come choose one for your garden or home soon!
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