If you dream of having a tropical garden but the area where you live is cool, then you will have no choice but to look for plants that are capable of withstanding the cold, such as strelitzia augusta. Better known as white starch, it is becoming very popular in temperate climate regions. Its beauty and easy cultivation make it a much loved species.
Although it has a rather slow growth rate, can be used to decorate since she is very young. And it is that its large leaves give that touch of 'tropicality' that we like so much.
Origin and characteristics of strelitzia augusta
Our protagonist is a perennial rhizomatous plant of arboreal size native to Africa whose scientific name is strelitzia augusta (before strelitzia alba). It is one of the species known as Bird from paradise. It can reach a maximum height of 10 meters. Its leaves are large, lanceolate and broad, with a length of up to 1 meter. The petiole is also very long: more than 1 meter in adult specimens. The flowers are axillary, white, and sprout in summer.
Its stem is cylindrical, about 30cm in diameter, and has a lot of tendency to get suckers.
How do you take care of yourself?
Location
The white Estrelicia is a plant that can be both in full sun and in semi-shade. In addition, as it does not have invasive roots, it can be placed near any other plant, even trees. Of course, if it is an area where the wind blows a lot, I advise planting it near a wall or wall.
Soil or substrate
It is not demanding at all. It can grow without problems any type of terrain, including calcareous ones. If you want to have it in a pot, use a universal growing medium mixed with perlite in equal parts.
Irrigation
Doesn't need a lot of water. Two weekly waterings will be enough during the warm months of the year, and another every week the rest so that it can grow well.
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You can fertilize the white bird of paradise with Organic fertilizers throughout the growing season, that is, from spring to late summer. In the case of living in an area with a mild climate, I advise paying it in autumn as well. Use fertilizers like guano, manure o earthworm humus, especially if you have it in your garden, to take advantage of and also fertilize the land.
Planting or transplanting time
During spring, when the risk of pulling has passed. The specimens grown in pots have to be transplanted to a larger one after 2-3 years.
Bird of Paradise flower multiplication
Seeds
To obtain new copies of strelitzia augusta through seeds, you have to follow this step by step:
- In spring, put the seeds in a glass of water for 24 hours. The next day, you can discard those that are not viable, which will be the ones that have remained floating.
- Then fill in a hotbed (pot, tray, glasses of yogurt, ...) with universal culture substrate for plants and water it until it is well soaked.
- Then spread copper or sulfur on the surface of the substrate. This will ensure that the fungi will not appear.
- Next, sow the seeds. It is important that you do not put them too close together, since otherwise it may be difficult for you to separate them later. To give you an idea of how many you should put, you should know that a 10,5cm diameter pot holds a maximum of three.
- Finally, cover them with a layer of substrate and water a little again.
Place the seedbed in semi-shade or in full sun, and within a maximum period of two months the seeds will germinate.
Young
During spring and early autumn, you can separate the suckers that come out from the trunk. To do this, dig a little until you see the roots, and with a small hand saw or pruning shears previously disinfected with pharmacy alcohol, separate them from the mother plant. Then, you just have to plant them in pots with vermiculite and water.
To have a greater guarantee of success, I advise impregnating the base of the sucker with powdered rooting hormones that you will find for sale in nurseries.
Pests and diseases of the Bird of Paradise
Image - Montecarlodailyphoto.com
It's very tough, but if the environment is dry and warm, or if you are going thirsty you may have mealybugs which can be easily removed with a brush or cotton dipped in water and alcohol.
Rusticity
It supports well cold and weak frosts of up to -2ºC. If you have colder winters, you should protect it with greenhouse plastic or by placing it indoors, in a very bright room.
Where to buy strelitzia augusta?
This is a plant that can be found in virtually any nursery in a warm or temperate region, as it is where outdoor cultivation is possible (as long as there are no major frosts). But what happens if you live in one that is cold?
When we find ourselves in that situation, then we will have no choice but to search online stores. The average price for a one meter copy is 25-30 euros.
Enjoy your plant! 🙂
I have a strelizia that was on the ground but in semi-shade and I have passed it to a large pot in the sun, it already has a youngster but I don't know whether to remove it to get another strelizia and leave it.
Hello Blanca.
From experience I would recommend leaving it, but if you want to remove it, do it in spring, when it is bigger (at least it should measure about 15-20cm).
A greeting.
Hello Monica; earthworms are some edible ?. I've seen salads seasoned with a few worms, and even ants. Excuse me, if the question is "out of the question", but I figured you could be of some help. Thanks. I like your page.
Hello camilo.
Well I dont know the truth. I know little about worms.
We are glad you like the pages.
A greeting.
I just got a Strelitzia augusta as a gift. Can I have it inside?
Hello Lola.
If you have a room where a lot of natural light enters, yes, but keep in mind that it will eventually touch the ceiling.
Regards!
I have a sterlizia alba for years. That I buy in a greenhouse far from where I live. It does not bloom. Do you know something?
Hello Jesus.
It may be that he is still young. They usually bloom when they are 3 meters or more.
Anyway, I recommend you fertilize it from time to time so that it encourages it to bloom.
Greetings.
Hola!
I would like to know if there is a difference between the S.Nicolai and the S.Augusta in terms of size.
I first planted two Streletzias labeled Nicolai, and later two more labeled Augustas (in the nursery where I usually buy, when they ran out of Nicolai, they received another batch and instead of Nicolai they said Augusta on the label). In the nursery they told me that the two are the same, but on the internet I see differences in terms of their flowering.
But in the area I see different Streletzias, and some reach higher than others (I'm talking about Streletzias of many years now) or have a thicker trunk and larger leaves having the same height, etc.
I would like to know, therefore, if in addition to flowering, there is a difference in size between the Nicolai and the Alba (Augusta).
Thanks a lot! 🙂
Hi Sebas.
There is a lot of confusion between the two. Many will tell you that they are the same.
Personally, I think they are two different species. The strelitzia augusta can reach 7 meters in height, while the Strelitzia nicolai it is smaller, with a height of 4-5 meters.
I hope I could have helped you something 🙂
Regards!
Hello. I live in the north of Portugal and I have a S. augusta, which I really like, some years ago. It turns out that she is already taller than my house (+/- 7 m) and I need to do something. First of all, because the roots are very close to the tile or they can disturb the neighbors or even the plant to fall (?). He didn't want to uproot all the trees. I wanted to delete the records closest to the house, but I don't know how to do it. If you cut the trunk in half, will it grow back?
Thanks. (I can send photos by email.)
Hi Elsa.
Actually, the problem is that it can fall if in your area the wind blows a lot on some occasion and / or if the land you have is very light. For the rest, it will be difficult for it to cause problems for the neighbor, since its roots are not dangerous.
Regarding your last question, it is possible that it will regrowth, but I cannot assure you.
Regards!
Good morning, I have 2 Strelizias in pots, on my roof. They get a lot of sun, I live in the Canary Islands, they live with 2 banana trees also in pots and this summer a kind of "islands" of 2-3 cm in diameter have appeared to me, white and like dots inside. My son tells me that they are flies or white moths, but I have sprayed them several times with an ecological spray for that and they keep coming out. The Strelizias and the banana trees are robust and of good color, but every time I get lost, from Sunday to Sunday, the white spots appear again, especially on the back. A pity not to be able to put images. Greetings and I would appreciate any guidance.
Hi Humberto.
From the description you give I don't think it is, but could it be White fly? This is small, about 1,5cm.
If you can, better send us a photo to our Facebook profile. So we can help you.
Greetings.
Confirmed, my city, Las Palmas de GC is infected with whitefly due to the abandonment of the municipal gardens. I already put Acetamiprid medicine on them. Greetings
Hi Humberto.
The whitefly is a very common pest. Fortunately, it can be treated well. In this link you have more information about this pest.
Greetings.