looks like Strelitzia nicolai to me...it may be surviving in low light but it really likes full sun, I wonder how long it has been there.... chris

The foliage does look a lot like the Strelitzia Nicolai, but the stalk does not look the same to me. The Strelitzia Nicolai's stalk starts out very wide and tappers off. The stalks are also grouped tightly. This plant is grouped more loosely, and the stalk has about the same circumference all the way up to the foliage. The pole like stalk and split leaves make this plant attractive to me. I could not find a picture of the Strelitzia Nicolai that looked like this one. Am I wrong?

The stalk has the pole like traits I am seeing in the Strelitzia Reginae, but the foliage of that plant is narrower and not often is it shown in pictures with splits in the leaves.

Im thinking its Strelitzia Nicolai. It was probably growin in shade therefore the leaves are longer making the plant taller than it should be at that stage in its life which would explain the small base. If you look at the base of the plant, it looks like its still pretty young.

I see some at home depot that look similar to that and they are labeled "White Birds of Paradise"

It is the amount of light the plant has been growing in that makes it look so different from your photo of the nursery grown ones. notice in that same photo that there are some in the back with split leaves also. chris

^ I agree with Venezuela.

The amt. of light a plant recieves can make it look like a different species sometimes! For example, a windmill palm tree growing in shade has very long fronds and drooping tips, but a windmill palm in full sun is very compact and even a little stiff.

Yes, it is Strelitzia nicolai. And when it is grown in low-light indoors conditions it will soon become so tall and wide that it will eventually outgrow your room after a few seasons. You may consider moving it outdoors during the summer months to encourage more compact growth, or purchase another small plant.

Thank you all for being so helpful. I have plans to put it in a warehouse waiting area where it would receive sun in the afternoons from the dock doors. The ceilings are very high so space is not a problem. Does this plant do well with pruning?

An alternative perhaps: Calathea lutea