This afternoon, while walking through the community garden, I saw that the rhizomes of all three Strelitzia reginae plants are healthy and thriving and firmly rooted in the ground. It’s nothing short of a small miracle, and we’re incredibly grateful for it...

Yes the rhizomes of Strelitzia are very hardy, even when you don't want them to be.  Over the years I have helped my neighbor trim and ultimately remove some rhizomes of one that was planted too close to our shared fence.  It is once again pushing against the fence and making it lean over to my side.  I put a root barrier down over a decade ago, before this plant was the problem and I was dealing with roots from a Brazilian Pepper tree that was out of control.  (photos of the fence leaning below).

In the right place, they are an appropriate plant, but near a fence, wall or overhanging pavement, they are a nuisance.  My neighbor on the other side planted one near their pool and was over asking about what to plant when they remove it.  We walked the garden and I think they will go with a clumping Chrysalidocarpus, like rufescens or onilahensis.  A small solitary palm like a Ravenea glauca might also work for them..

All that said, it is quite a feat to grow one there on the Bodensee (Lake Constance).

On 4/18/2026 at 10:51 PM, Tracy said:

Yes the rhizomes of Strelitzia are very hardy, even when you don't want them to be.  Over the years I have helped my neighbor trim and ultimately remove some rhizomes of one that was planted too close to our shared fence.  It is once again pushing against the fence and making it lean over to my side.  I put a root barrier down over a decade ago, before this plant was the problem and I was dealing with roots from a Brazilian Pepper tree that was out of control.  (photos of the fence leaning below).

In the right place, they are an appropriate plant, but near a fence, wall or overhanging pavement, they are a nuisance.  My neighbor on the other side planted one near their pool and was over asking about what to plant when they remove it.  We walked the garden and I think they will go with a clumping Chrysalidocarpus, like rufescens or onilahensis.  A small solitary palm like a Ravenea glauca might also work for them..

All that said, it is quite a feat to grow one there on the Bodensee (Lake Constance).

Thank you so much, Tracy 🤗 for your explanation and the great photos. It’s really going to be huge, and we’re excited to see how it develops here.