Giant White and Blue Bird of Paradise Plant (strelitzia nicolai)

ABOUT THIS BIRD OF PARADISE Giant White and Blue Birds – These South African plants form neat clumping erect leathery and stiff stalk like leaf groups. Grown for the white and purple flowers the foliage is also visually pleasing in the tropical landscape. This drought tolerant plant makes a beautiful, flowering container plant as well as a great landscape plant for the drier tropical garden. These are very healthy tropical plants with well established root system. The plants shipping now may vary in size, form and color from the images above. Please remember that no two plants are alike. The growth rate and leaf color of Giant White and Blue will vary greatly depending on soil type, sunlight, temperature and other factors. A few leaves are often trimmed prior to shipping to reduce transpiration and travel stress. QUICK SPECS OUTDOOR Zone 9b-11 PATIO Zone 4a-11 SOIL TYPE Rich Dry % SUN 70-85% POT SIZE 7″ Tube INCLUDES One Plant BIRD OF PARADISE PLANT CARE Giant White and Blue are very easy to grow tropical plants that require little care indoors or out. Bird of Paradise can be grown as houseplants, or outdoors in mild climates. They thrive in sowe-what dry soils with high organic matter and grow best when provided with full sunlight. Bird of Paradise plants can be grown in containers or outdoors as a remarkable landscape plant. Indoors plants thrive at temperatures between 65°- 85°F and in higher light conditions than other house plants. In the ground Bird of Paradise get big and are often unrecognizable from their potted juvenile state. They add a wonderfully tropical accent to any well-lit space. In very cold zones a containerized Bird of Paradise can be brought inside for the winter months. Be sure to avoid frost and freezing temperatures. When you receive your new Bird of Paradise, there is no need to worry about planting right away. Your new plant can be stored for a while by simply placing it in a bucket with about a half inch of water in the bottom and moving it to a shady location. You can then add some mulch to keep your plant standing upright. The mulch will also supply nutrients while in storage. This will give you plenty of time to select the ideal location for your new Bird of Paradise. CONTAINER SIZE Bird of Paradise grow very well in patio and indoor containers. For the best flower production allow enough room for growth generally a 18″ to a 24″ diameter, 10″ deep container will suffice to get started. Remember the looser the roots, the taller and healthier your plant will be. When the plant becomes root bound its growth will slow, at that point it is time for a larger pot. SOIL Giant White and Blue Bird of Paradise enjoy well drained but some-what dry, rich organic mix. Remember try to stay away from wet, mucky soils. FERTILIZER To help establish your new Giant White and Blue Bird of Paradise, fertilize sparingly at least 6 inches away from the base, tri-annually with a slow time released product. Unfertilized they will tend to grow very slowly. Note: The heavy salts in cheaper fertilizers will damage the roots and possibly kill the plant. GROW ZONE & LIGHT Best outdoors if grown in zone 9b-11, find your zone here. This Bird of Paradise requires 80-100% sunlight. Depending on your location full sun is best. In the northern end of their grow zone Giant White and Blue plants should be brought indoors or protected during the winter months. The patio zone is 4b-11 which means the potted plant will flourish over the summer months in colder zones but must be brought inside before frost. BEFORE YOU PLANT OUTDOORS At the nursery these Bird of Paradise plants are grown under 10-20% shade cloth. If you plant this Bird of Paradise in a brightly lit area you may experience leaf burn. It is best to acclimate this plant to its environment by keeping it outside and slowly moving it into a sunny area over a week or two to avoid stress before planting. WHAT IS THE SHIPPING SIZE All Giant White and Blue Bird of Paradise Plants for sale will vary in size. In the spring, plants are often smaller than plants shipped in the fall. Plants designated with a sku ending in -4, -6, -8 or -7 will arrive in a standard 4 inch, 6 inch, 8 inch round growers pot or 7″ deep starter tube respectively. Our new, reusable, recyclable deep pots are 8 inches deep and 3×3 inches in width. Products growing in these pots are easy to transplant and allow for deeper roots and faster growth, they are designated with a sku ending in -t3, most of these often come with a wood totem. (Note: The item sku number can be found just below the buy button.) The color and style of these pots may vary. If we are out of a particular size item, we may ship a larger size at no additional charge. For more information, click the “best packaging” link at the bottom of this page. Note: Before leaving, Giant White and Blue Bird of Paradise plants are inspected, watered, and pruned. Larger plants, generally those that ship in 8″ pots or with totems, will be topped to 36″ or 48″ overall, depending on the variety, if necessary to facilitate shipping. Your new plants’ pot is then bagged to ensure that the soil stays in the pot and not loose in the box. Plants are tissue or kraft paper wrapped and secured in place with natural biodegradable peanuts. Buy your Giant White and Blue online now while they are in stock. Zone.9a Zone.9b Zone.10a Zone.10b Zone.11a Zone.11b