Giant Bird of Paradise
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called bird-of-paradise -tree, giant white bird of paradise tree, Natal Wild Banana, White Bird of Paradise and Wild Banana.
Toxicity is partly unassessed
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for people. RHS publishes no harm statement for this plant. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Full sun, Partial shadeRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Moist but well-drained or Well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H1B — 10–15°C 10–15 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Chalk, Loam, Sand; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- No statement of harm to people is published for this plant; that absence is not evidence it is safe.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- Water once the upper layer of soil is dry; it becomes more drought tolerant after establishing.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026While growing, water generously and feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertiliser. Give little water in winter, and ventilate once temperatures go above 20°C.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- A balanced liquid fertilizer can be given monthly through spring and summer. In Africa, native birds drink nectar from the flowers and monkeys eat the seeds.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026While plants are growing, water generously and give a balanced liquid feed each month. Flowering can take a few years and happens only when light and feeding are adequate.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Repotting
- Top dress every year and repot every other year.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- Division or seed gives the best results for propagation.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026In spring, divide off rooted suckers. Seed can be sown in March to April, but its coat is very thick and needs soaking before sowing.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning is not needed.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Mealybugs, glasshouse red spider mite and scale insects can attack it. Disease is uncommon.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
Strelitzia nicolai, commonly known as the wild banana or giant white bird of paradise, is a species of banana-like plants with erect woody stems reaching a height of 7–8 m (23–26 ft), and the clumps formed can spread as far as 3.5 m (11 ft).
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- E. Zimbabwe to KwaZulu-Natal, E. BotswanaWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026East Zimbabwe to KwaZulu-Natal, East BotswanaNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026S Natal, NE CapeRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- subtropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- Herbaceous Perennial, Perennial; habit clumping, erect, irregular, openNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Clump forming (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 240–360 in; width 72–120 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 8-12 metres; spread 4-8 metres after 10–20 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers black, blue, purple/lavender, white; blooms in springNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers black in spring; blue in spring; white in springRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Uses
What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.
The dried leaf stalks are made into rope. The immature seeds can be eaten.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.