| General Description | The genus houses five species and is named after the duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the birthplace of Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom. |
| Landscape | Makes an ideal potted plant and cut flower. |
| Cultivation | Grows well in full sun to part shade, in a rich soil. Fairly tolerant of different soil conditions, needing little water once established. In ideal growing conditions, it will flower several times in a year. Feed regularly with a controlled release fertilizer and compost. |
| Notable Specimens | Centennial Conservatory, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. |
| Leaf Description | Large, thick, evergreen, 25 - 70 long, 10 - 30 cm wide, with petioles that are up to 1 m long, arranged in two ranks producing a fan-shaped crown. |
| Flower Description | Flowers emerge one at a time from the spathe. They consist of three sepals and three petals, two of which join to form an arrow-like nectary. |
| Fruit Description | A hard, woody capsule that splits from the apex in summer. Seeds are round. |
