One of the most mysterious and amazing South African flowers finally reached the local gardeners and florists. Royal Strelitzia has an exotic shape, similar to a hummingbird bird. The flower was named, as you might guess, in honor of the real queen, namely the English ruler Charlotte-Sophia, who, in her childhood, bore the family name Mecklenburg-Strelitz. How to grow such beauty at home, is royal strelitzia made from seeds and what kind of care is required for a flower on local cool window sills and flower beds.
Plant Overview
In nature, an evergreen and very large grass reaches a size of 2 m and above. The perennial plant Royal Strelitzia has large elongated oval-shaped leaves with long petioles. The veins on the flower often tear the green surface, creating the feeling that a dead bird is sitting in front of the viewer. The popular name of the African exotic is purely Russian - "flowers of the firebird." This is not surprising, because the royal Strelitzia, the photo of which can be seen in this article, really looks like the head of an outlandish creature. Most of all, the buds resemble the head and tiny body of a hummingbird. A slice of this plant will stand in a vase for a very long time, sometimes up to one month, and will tolerate short-term transportation quite well.
Seat selection, planting and watering
To make Royal Strelitzia feel good, you need to choose a bright, fairly sunny location. However, the plant does not like direct rays, for the summer season it can be put on a balcony or porch so that there is a constant influx of clean, fresh air. The minimum temperature that an African miracle can afford is plus 11-15 ° . During a long flowering period it should be warmer - up to 20 ° C, otherwise the wonderful royal strelitzia will drop the bud and remain an unpretentious green stick. He likes watering a plant quite plentiful, and in the summer season the earth should always be moist. In winter, you can reduce the amount of moisture, but the soil should never dry out. For irrigation use only settled water at room temperature. Regular spraying can be carried out to improve air quality; Royal Strelitzia is happy to take such “baths”.
Essential Care and Fast Propagation
If the plant is grown outdoors, it is worth taking care of regular watering and timely pruning. Gardeners recommend removing dead leaves and wilted flowers, while forming a bush of the right size and shape. You can place it anywhere, but fertilizing will be required at least 3-4 times a month. Experienced flower growers prefer to use mineral and organic fertilizing alternately. During the ripening of buds and seeds, you can not fertilize Strelitzia at all. The plant is propagated by dividing the existing stem and very rarely by seed. For the second option, you need to be prepared to engage in the pollinating of capricious flowers. In addition, strelitzia from seeds will bloom only in the fourth year, which is not suitable for every beginner.