One of the most mysterious and amazing South African flowers has finally reached the local gardeners and florists. The Royal Strelitzia has an exotic shape similar to a hummingbird. The flower was named, as you might guess, in honor of the real queen, namely the English ruler Charlotte Sophia, who, as a girl, bore the generic name Mecklenburg-Strelitz. How to grow such beauty at home, is there royal strelitzia from seeds and what kind of care is required for a flower on local cool window sills and flower beds.
General information about the plant
In nature, 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 break the green surface, creating the impression that a ruffled bird is sitting in front of the viewer. The popular name of African exotics 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 cut of this plant will stand in a vase for a very long time, sometimes up to one month, and will tolerate short-range transportation quite well.
Site selection, planting and watering
In order for the royal strelitzia to 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 flow of clean, fresh air. The minimum temperature that an African miracle can afford is plus 11-15°C. 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 unassuming green stick. Watering the plant likes quite plentiful, and in the summer season the earth should always be wet. 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. To improve air quality, regular spraying can be carried out, royal strelitzia takes such “baths” with pleasure.
Necessary care and rapid reproduction
If the plant is grown outdoors, you should take care of regular watering and timely pruning. Gardenersit is recommended to remove withered leaves and withered flowers, while simultaneously forming a bush of the desired size and shape. You can place it anywhere, but fertilizing at least 3-4 times a month will be mandatory. Experienced flower growers prefer to use mineral and organic dressings 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 seeds. For the second option, you need to be ready to deal with the pollination of capricious flowers. In addition, strelitzia from seeds will bloom only in the fourth year, which is not suitable for every beginner.
