S. nicolai is restricted to evergreen coastal forest and thicket of eastern South Africa from the Gonubie northwards to southern Mozambique.

[5] Strelitzia nicolai is commonly grown both indoors and outdoors as well, in the case of warmer climates, and where frost does not occur regularly.

It grows particularly well in nearly all of Florida (as long as frost is not a threat), from the Atlantic eastern side to the Keys, and north along the Gulf of Mexico.

It prefers rich, acidic and evenly moist soils with good drainage, in full sun to part shade.

These same such areas may also have drier, sandier, or more hard clay soils, with alkaline conditions (such as those found in Southern California); nonetheless, the plant tends to adapt quickly, becoming large and matured specimens.