

Height : about 10 to 20 cm (depending on seasons)
Medium grower
With Strelitzias, you're entering paradise!
You're about to discover the most fascinating of exotic flowers: nicknamed the “Bird of Paradise”, depending on the day, they'll remind you of a bird's head or a parrot's beak - you be the judge...
Each Strelitzia mandela's gold flower lasts around ten days and is a real spectacle: it gradually opens its beautiful yellow pepals, regularly separated by a blue bract, with new ones opening as the older ones dry out. You won't be able to stop running over every morning to admire their progress! They are also exceptionally long-lived when picked in bouquets.
Strelitzia mandela's gold is rarer than its cousins Strelitzia reginae (orange and purple) and Strelitzia nicolai (white and purple), this beautiful Yellow Bird of Paradise joins the Strelitzia juncea (narrow-leaved) among the most rarest, with its deep shades of yellow and blue. Named in honor of Nelson Mandela, it's a real gem!
The foliage of this herbaceous perennial is very decorative, but it has a dense, thick rhizome that develops rapidly, so don't hesitate to repot your Strelitzia mandela's gold regularly by increasing the size of the pot.
Your main concern will soon become: which Strelitzia to choose from this vast family!
When you receive your plant, repot it in a pot slightly larger than the bucket, which must be well pierced. Avoid pot covers which prevent residual water from draining away and encourage fungal diseases. Choose a fine potting soil, ideally with added perlite or sand to lighten the substrate (do not use garden soil or acidic soil such as heather). Then plan two repottings per year (spring and autumn), gradually increasing the size of the pot and adapting it to the size of the root network (the roots must have room, but not too much as the plant must be able to dry out its substrate between waterings). This avoids having to add fertilizer, which always risks burning the fragile roots of the plants and making the plant wither as soon as the fertilizer is stopped.
Moderate watering: watering should be copious (the whole root ball should be wet), but wait until the substrate has dried deeply before watering again (you can stick your finger in the soil: as long as you feel moisture, do not water). Your plant will recover better from a lack of water than from an excess of water. Always water at the base of the plant, and do not mist it, because stagnant water in the armpit of the leaves favors cryptogamic diseases. If your atmosphere is too dry, put bowls of water nearby (above radiators for example), so that evaporation humidifies the air.
Your plant is best taken out in summer, full sun is perfect for it. It should be brought indoors in winter, and ideally placed in a warm and luminous place, like in a veranda or behind a window. It fears excessive humidity when temperatures are low, so avoid cold rooms. Attention: do not take it out and bring it in all the time, it should be taken out in good weather, then brought in when the cold weather arrives, because plants adapt their foliage to their environment, which should not constantly change. It often happens that plants lose their foliage when they are taken out and/or put in, don't worry, your plant will adapt and will emit its new foliage accordingly.
If your climate allows it, you will be able to plant your plant in full ground, a full sun is recommended. We advise you however to cultivate it in pot the first year and to make it spend the first winter in the heat, in order to strengthen it well. Plant it between the end of the risk of frost (generally at the beginning of May) and the end of August, in a soil which must be light and draining; do not hesitate to add sand and fine potting soil if necessary. Be careful with the minimum temperatures indicated: they are given for a mature plant, and you have to take into account the wind which accentuates the cold felt, as well as the water retention capacity of your soil, which can rot the roots if it is not sufficiently draining. So take a little safety margin!
This plant can not be pruned If you feel that it is becoming too bulky, you can limit its growth by continuing to repot it and change its substrate but without increasing the size of the pot. If the root network becomes too important, do not hesitate to prune the roots.
If your plants are under attack by aphids or other pests, the best way to control them is by hand. Change their soil, remove as many undesirables as possible by hand and then shower your plants with a strong stream of water to eliminate any eggs that may be present. Spray them (insist on the underside of the leaves) with liquid black soap diluted in water. Repeat the operation several times at a few days interval. Take them outside in good weather, rain, sun and wind will kill most of the aggressors!
With Strelitzias, patience is the key: allow 5 to 7 years before the first blooms. Remember to take them outside in summer, as this will speed up their flowering.