Strelitzia reginae - Bird-of-Paradise Double Flower

Well............I have more new leaves emerging this week!

The ones at Kew are flowering ok but yours looks a lot healthier.Our gloomy summer may have something to do with it.

Meanie:

Are you able to put your plant outdoors this time of year there? They need shorter days to initiate their blooming.

Rbtkew:

This plant in the front yard is a pretty large clump. It's about 6ft/2m tall with the same spread. Almost everyone in my neighborhood has one, two or more in their yards.

Yes, I just moved it indoors last week.

Meanie:

Is it too cold there to keep it outdoors, now?

Not too sure really - it has dipped to 6c one night already.

Meanie:

That temperature will not hurt this plant. Strelitzia reginae will tolerate quite a bit of freezing temps (at least 3 or 4 hours, without damage)...it grows in many areas of California which go below freezing in winter (generally temps of 28ºF/-2.2ºC. will damage the leaves, however, it recovers).