Description
Strelitzia nicolai. Price is $6 per 100 seeds but if taken in Kg then the price is $70 per Kg (between 3200 and 3500 seeds). The Natal Wild Banana grows up to 12m high and 4m wide. It is an evergreen tree with multi-stems that form dense clumps. The stem is woody and smooth in texture. It is light to dark grey and marked with old leaf scars. Attached to the stem by long, thick leaf stalks are the enormous, opposite leaves that are shiny and grey-green, with blades capable of reaching up to 2m in length. The flower of the Natal Wild Banana is a typical Crane Flower inflorescence, up to 500 mm long. The flowers of this tree have white sepals with blue petals and consist of 5 purplish blue, boat-shape sheaths.The whole flower resembles the head of the bird, with a white crest and purple beak. Sowing : Remove orange fibre from the seed and sow in seed trays filled with a well-drained soil medium at a depth of 1 to 1½ times the size of the seed. A constant temperature of 25°C is most suitable for germination, as low temperatures retard germination. Seedlings should be a good size before being transplanted (two to three leaves) into a well-drained potting medium. In our nursery we have found that the young plants are best grown in semi-shade, as the leaves tend to burn in direct sunlight. Regular repotting allows the young plant to develop rapidly. Restricting the root development retards growth. Locality: Durban. Harvest: October 2023. Price is $6 per 100 seeds but if taken in Kg then the price is $70 per Kg (between 3200 and 3500 seeds)
