- Author: Nanette McKnight Shamieh
-When I first had my backyard landscaped I chose the tropical them due to my love of the Islands….wanted to remind myself and others of being in a Hawaiian paradise. After years of watching my bird of paradise, palm trees and tropical plants grow and bloom, I realized that what I was told was a banana tree was actually a Giant Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia nicolai). In the last couple years I have watched it produce large leaves and white dramatic flowers encased in a dark gray floral envelope. A beautiful white flower with a dark blue “tongue” has awed me since it began flowering. The clumping, treelike plant does take some work to maintain since the fan-like leaves grow out of clumping, curving trunks. But the 8 year wait was worth it…the flowers are beautiful. Enjoy!