Unlike the familiar orange Bird of Paradise, 'Mandela's Gold' is admired for its unusual golden-yellow flowers with contrasting purple-blue petals. These striking, bird-shaped blooms rise above attractive grey-green, paddle-shaped foliage, creating an elegant architectural feature that brings year-round greenery and seasonal colour to the garden.
This evergreen, clump-forming South African perennial typically grows to approximately 1.5m tall, gradually forming an impressive leafy cluster. Its distinctive flowers appear mainly during winter and spring in the Western Cape, making it particularly valuable for adding colour to the garden during the cooler months.
An excellent choice for large decorative containers, sunny patios, courtyards, poolside planting and garden borders, 'Mandela's Gold' is also highly regarded as a cut flower. It tolerates coastal conditions and wind once established and is relatively drought tolerant, making it well suited to many Western Cape gardens.
Plant in full sun or semi-shade in fertile, well-drained soil. Water regularly while establishing and during active summer growth, allowing excess water to drain freely. Once established, it tolerates drier conditions and requires less supplementary watering. Feed in spring and summer with a suitable garden fertiliser, following the recommended application instructions. Remove old or damaged leaves at their base when necessary, as routine pruning is not required.
'Mandela's Gold' was developed at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden through years of careful plant selection and breeding. Originally known as 'Kirstenbosch Gold', it was renamed in 1996 in honour of Nelson Mandela. Its unusual yellow flowers make it one of the most distinctive cultivars of South Africa's much-loved Bird of Paradise.
Our Strelitzias are grown outdoors, where wind, sun, and other natural elements can cause the leaves to tear or develop slight browning on the edges. This is completely normal and part of the plant’s natural growth pattern. Even in your own home garden, your Strelitzia will go through the same process over the years. Growers also trim older leaves to encourage strong, upright growth, so receiving a plant with cut stems is not a sign of poor quality. It’s simply part of healthy maintenance, development, and the natural characteristics of the plant.
| Botanical Name |
Strelitzia Reginae 'Mandela's Gold'
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Growth Expectancy
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1.5m H x 1.5m W
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Position
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Sun
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| Water Smart | Yes |
| Indigenous | Yes |
