Strelitzia juncea seed

LATIN NAME: Strelitzia juncea

COMMON NAME: Rush-leaved Strelitzia

Rush-leaved strelitzia is the striking, bold, bird-of-paradise-like plant of the warm gardens, and its orange and blue, crested flowers are one of the fine sights of the warm-climate garden. The clump of the stiff, round, rush-like, grey-green leaves rises from the base, and the tall, upright stems carry the striking, orange and blue, crested flowers through the season. The plant is a fine, bold addition to the warm garden, the conservatory and the large container, and it has a long, generous flowering season. It is a slow but dependable plant of the warm, sunny, sheltered spot.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

Rush-leaved strelitzia has a steady and growing place in the plant science, and it has been studied for its striking, crested flowers and its place among the strelitzias. The bold, orange and blue, bird-like flowers and the way they are pollinated have been studied closely, and the plant keeps showing up in the work on the bird-pollinated flowers and the warm-climate plants. The stiff, round, rush-like leaves and the tall, upright stems have also made it a fine garden plant, and it is a regular subject of the studies of the strelitzias and the bold, architectural plants of the warm gardens.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Rush-leaved strelitzia is grown for the striking, bold flowers. The orange and blue, crested heads open through a long season, and they are a fine, dramatic addition to the warm garden, the conservatory and the large container. The stiff, rush-like leaves give the plant a fine, architectural look, and it is a dependable, long-lived plant of the warm, sheltered spot. It has been written about in the horticultural papers for its bold, bird-like flowers and its long flowering, and it is a slow but generous plant of the warm, sunny garden.

The rush-leaved strelitzia is a fine, bold plant of the warm gardens, and the striking, orange and blue, crested flowers are among the most unusual of the plant world. In its native warmth the flowers are pollinated by the sunbirds, and the striking heads have made the plant a favourite of the cut-flower trade as well. The stiff, round, rush-like leaves give it a fine, architectural look, and it is a slow but very long-lived plant.

The rush-leaved strelitzia is a fine, bold plant for the warm, sheltered garden and the large container, and the striking, orange and blue flowers are a long-season display. The plant is slow but very long-lived.

To grow the rush-leaved strelitzia from seed, nick the large, hard seeds with a file and soak them in warm water overnight, then sow them at a shallow depth in pots of moist, free-draining soil, keep them in a warm, bright, sheltered spot and water gently. The seedlings come up in their own good time and grow on slowly, so be patient with them and pot them on as they fill the pots. A warm, sunny, sheltered spot will see the striking, orange and blue, crested flowers in a few seasons.

This rarer hybrid variety form clusters producing yellow flowers and thin bladed leaves

Suits warm temperature and tropical climates or can be grown as a conservatory plant

Native to the dry, arid regions on the Eastern Cape of South Africa, often seen growing in the wild

A great conservatory plant for temperature climates

Though this species appears leafless, it does have very thin, reed-like leaves