Strelitzia augusta

Strelitzia augusta (synonym S.alba) is a giant white bird of paradise, also known as the False Traveller's Tree due to certain similarities in their vegetation. It is the rarest of the three large South African species in this genus of giant perennials, and the largest, with very old specimens reaching 10 m (33ft) high in Cape gardens. Esteemed for the beauty of its vegetation, this plant also has surprising white flowers with dark bracts resembling the head of an exotic bird, less showy than Strelitzia reginae and smaller than S.nicolai. Grow this magnificent tropical plant in a very large pot that you can place in a bright room or on the terrace during the summer, and store it indoors during frost.

Strelitzia augusta belongs to the Strelitziaceae family, which comprises 5 known species, all native to the clearings and banks along South African rivers. Due to its origins, it only thrives in the mildest Mediterranean climates. Its hardiness does not exceed -2 to -3°C (28.4 to 26.6°F). This evergreen rhizomatous perennial plant can reach 10 m (33ft) high when planted in the ground, and spreads laterally by producing suckers over more than 3 m (10ft). In pots, it rarely exceeds 2.50 to 3 m (8 to 10ft) high with a base width of 1 m (3ft). From the rhizomes, false trunks (stipes) formed by the overlapping sheaths of the petioles emerge. Older stems become woody with leaf scars and often show suckers at the base. At the top of each stipe, large fans composed of long-petioled leaves are produced in two rows. They are 2 m (7ft) long, including the petiole, and 40-60 cm (0 and 16in) wide. Their truncate and heart-shaped leaves are strongly marked by secondary veins and are often laterally split like banana leaves. They are satiny, dark greenish-grey, sometimes with a purplish-tinged midrib. Flowering occurs from May-June to September. Large, very dark blue-grey tinged with violet spathes, 25 to 30 cm (10 to 12in) rise from the leaf axils and produce 5 flowers with white petals, followed by capsules containing reddish seeds.

Strelitzia is the ultimate exotic cut flower for florists due to its extraordinary structure and the beautiful, rare harmony of colours found on the inflorescence. It is also a magnificent conservatory plant, which only dislikes the cold and is easy to grow as long as it has enough space, water, and nutrients during the growing season. You can easily create an exotic setting around the Strelitzia by combining it with cannas, castor oil plants, a Melianthus major, a Billbergia nutans, a small banana tree, gingers, and a small palm tree such as the Sabal minor for example. In the most sheltered gardens, you can attempt to grow it in the open ground, preferably in partial shade in the south, and with good winter protection.