Exotic Rainforest rare tropical plants

When we brought our Ryder Truck filled with plants from Miami to Arkansas in 2001, I elected to leave all our White Bird of Paradise in Florida. It wasn't that I didn't love the large clusters of plants in my yard, I simply knew they were commonly available, even in Arkansas: at Wal-Mart!

Once the atrium was ready to plant in 2002 it was already late Fall and we began to check with local Wal-Mart stores to locate our Bird of Paradise. One near us put them on sale for $4.00 so we bought all they had. Those were 3 feet tall. Today they, and another cluster in a different location in our Exotic Rainforest, are 14 to16 feet, and still growing! I've seen Strelitzia nicolai almost 25 feet in height. Unfortunately that is beginning to happen in the atrium so we have been forced to cut down two plants. I don't know what I'll do if they keep getting bigger! The highest place in the room is only 17 feet. If S. nicolai reminds you of a banana tree, it should. The plant is a close relative. After 3 to 4 years of growth they normally begin to produce a beautiful white "bloom" (inflorescence) which resembles a white bird in flight. Thus it's common name. So far we have only had a few inflorescences (blooms). I believe the plants crave more light than they can get under the "glass". The canes to the right (foreground) are Red Torch Ginger.

Just beneath one of our stands of Bird of Paradise is one of our bromeliad logs. The photo can take you there.