This tall, striking foliage plant, also known as the Natal wild banana, grows mostly in coastal dune vegetation and evergreen forests near the cost. It is a common feature of the coastal vegetation from East London northwards, growing in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and up into Mozambique towards Zimbabwe. Strelitzia nicolai grows up to 12m high and 4m wide. The flower is a typical crane flower inflorescence, with white sepals and blue petals, resembling the head of a bird with a white crest and purple beak. Strelitzia alba is a rare form of S. nicolai.

Strelitzia reginae is the species that is probably most widely known and planted. It occurs naturally only in South Africa, on the eastern coast from Humansdorp to northern KwaZulu-Natal in coastal bush and thicket. While the Strelitzia genus was named in honour of Queen Charlotte, wife of George III from the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the specific name reginae means ‘of the queen’ in Latin.

Strelitzia Redhot Flame is a dwarf Strelitzia developed by the former Cape Flora Nursery and is suitable for pot culture. It was developed by selecting the shorter forms of ‘Mandela’s Gold’ and crossing them in order to develop the more compact form seen in the picture. Plants usually do not exceed 60cm in height.