Strelitzia: Growing Bird of Paradise in Australian Gardens

Climate RequirementsStrelitzia reginae is native to the Eastern Cape of South Africa — a climate similar to Sydney, Adelaide, and coastal NSW. It thrives in full sun to light shade, tolerates drought once established (the fleshy root system stores water), and withstands light frost to about -3°C. In subtropical Queensland, it flowers virtually year-round. In Melbourne, it grows but flowers less reliably and needs a warm, sheltered microclimate.Patience in EstablishmentStrelitzia is slow to es…