Strelitzia (Nicolai) "Giant Bird of Paradise"

Jeanette

Hi there,

I have a Strelitzia (Nicolai) "Giant Bird of Paradise" in the front garden which was planted 9 years ago. It is now up to the power lines and threatening to take out the fence - and quite possibly the house with it.
There is one very thick trunk - which was the original 'stalk' which is about half a metre wide (excluding the branches). Other plants have grown around the base - some are about a metre shorter than the main tree - and I am wondering if:
– I can just remove the larger trunk and the rest will be ok and keep growing
– how I would do this
– concerns that it looks like the roots are lifting the footpath
– Is it the correct season in Melbourne Australia to lop off part of the plant/tree? It is summer here at the moment and the temperature is between 25 and 40 degrees during the days at the moment.

If anyone could offer suggestions I would much appreciate it.
Maybe I should take a pic to upload...?

Thanks,
Jeanette

Eric Frei

Yes, you should.

Also read this.

Falling Palm Tree Kills 4yr. Old| Ekka makes news comment

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ACQUINN

you may have the wrong identification, i went into banksia, one of melbourne top nurseries and it had nicolai plants that were not in fact nicolais, they were Ravenala madagascariensis or travellers palms which are related and lokk "identical" when younger unless you know them well. at the age you are describing, if the trunk looks like a tree trunk it is not a nicolai, nicolai trunks look more like banana trees, as for cutting ot the centre trunk of either, time of years does not matter, it will not grow back ever. the others are suckers and will grow just fine. the simplest way to tell is the flower, both have blue and white bird of paradise style flowers, only the nicolais are individual flowers and the travellers plam has them in a single bunch of usually eight or more.

Eric Frei

We get both types here.

The Ravenala madagascariensis is the larger one, much bigger/fatter trunk ... fronds are much larger. That's the one that failed in the video and killed the kid.

Both have the same type of habit and form though, both suck to cut down too.

Both have same family just different genus.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravenala_madagascariensis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strelitzia_nicolai

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Treemo

That's funny, I just cut a nicolai down on the weekend and I wasn't sure what the botanical name was. Someone planted it 400mm from the side of our house and it was getting a bit 'lifty'. It was about 5m high and the base is 2m x 1m. The 1m being reduced by the slab/wall of the house.

I will need an excavator to remove the root mass, for sure.


On a high note, a single swipe with a Silky saw will carve right through it. Made me feel like a big man.

Eric Frei

I've got bogged in them grinding out big ones, watery slimy mess.... disgusting.

I ground out a huge ponytail the other day .... very similar, another disgusting mess.

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