Pronounciation: Stre-LIT-see-a ni-KO-la-i

Hardiness zones
Sunset 12-21 (with protection), 22-24
USDA 9 (w/ adequate protection), 10-11

Landscape Use: Large entry ways, large mall atriums, north sides of large buildings, shaded courtyards and patios, high density urban areas where the built environment enables heat storage and warmed microclimates (frost/free-free zones), poolside planting.

Form & Character: Upright and rigid, dominant, banana like, strongly tropical.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, herbaceous, acaulescent perennial shrub, moderately basal clumping to 15-feet tall with a 6- to 10-feet wide spread.

Foliage/Texture: Leaves are elongated to 4-feet long, leathery green with a dominate succulent midvein and extended sheathed petioles that emerge from trunk in one view plane, leaves tend to tatter and tear in Phoenix; coarse texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Beautiful, deep blue and mostly white; fruits inconspicuous.

Seasonal Color: Spring flowers.

Temperature: Intolerant of temperatures below 35^oF or temperatures about 110^oF.

Light: Partial shade best in desert, no western sun, northern and protected eastern exposures are best.

Soil: Light to heavy, avoid high alkalinity.

Watering: Regular

Pruning: Remove spent flowers on a stalk as they senesce, remove tattered foliage.

Propagation: Seed, some division of basal clumps every 5 years will generate a some young plants.

Disease and Pests: Snails and slugs along the California coast (think Los Angeles and San Diego), but no biotic problems in Phoenix.

Additional comments: Giant bird of paradise is the large landscape specimen plant that is too big for small landscape spaces. It is very similar to Musa sp. (banana) in size and texture, but its leaves are cupped upright about the midvein whereas banana leaves are reflexed downward, more cold tolerant.