Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Bird of Paradise-Blue n White, 1 by dyzzypyxxy

dyzzypyxxy wrote:
I did a plant files search and ended up here http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2467/ which is the page on a rare bird called Strelitzia alba.

After reading the comments I think you are right, what Moodene and I have is Strelitzia nicolai. This is what is known as white bird of paradise here.

Strelitzia reginae is the short clumping one with the orange and blue flowers. It doesn't make tall trunk-like stems.

These flowers are about a foot long. The traveler palm trunk that we had removed last fall had flower scapes that were over 2 feet long, but similar in shape.