Bird of Paradise is a beautiful evergreen tropical plant closely related to bananas. It is popular for orange crane-like blooms.
Native to South Africa, Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia spp) is one of the most popular tropical flowering plants. It closely looks like a tropical bird with the same name, the plant grows in clumps, the leaves display a fan-like pattern that resembles banana foliage. The flowers thrive in groups of one to three on long stems. Compared to many tropical plants, it is quite an easy-to-grow indoor plant.
This herbaceous perennial blooms in the late winter or early spring but does flower at other times of the year if provided with favorable conditions. It grows up to 3.5 to 6 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide with upright 12-18 inches long leaves that develop directly from the soil without any trunk. This beautiful houseplant is toxic to pets.
Botanical Name: Strelitzia reginae, Strelitzia nicolai
Common Name: Bird of Paradise, Crane flower
USDA Zone: 10-12
Bird of Paradise Varieties
There are five types of bird of paradise plants that you can grow indoors, it can be grown as an outdoor perennial and also as a houseplant anywhere else.
Propagating Bird of Paradise
Bird of paradise can be grown from both division and seeds. Growing the plant from the division is easier than propagation from seeds; use mature plants that have flowered for at least three years.
Propagation from division:
Take a shovel, saw, or sharp knife according to the size of the rhizome or root structure. Propagate the plant in early spring or summer, slice a piece of rhizome, and apply rooting hormone to the open cuts. Each division must have a fan with connected roots. Place every division in a clean 8-12 inches deep and wide planter filled with good-quality potting mix. Keep the soil moist for up to three months till roots are established. You will have mature flowering plants in 1-3 years.
Note: You can also propagate birds of paradise by removing offshoots from mature plants.
Propagation from Seeds:
Bird of paradise can be planted from seeds as well; the plant will begin to flower in 3-5 years. The seeds will germinate in up to 2 months. Before planting, soak the seeds in water for 24-48 hours. Take off any orange fibrous material, and scratch the seed with a knife. Sow the seeds in a well-draining potting mix around 1/2 to 1 inch deep and 3 inches apart from other seeds. Keep the pot in a warm, bright location with indirect light. Wrap the container with plastic or cloche to retain moisture.
When the seedlings produce two to three leaves, move them to a 6-inch deep pot. Meanwhile, when the plant grows up to 6 inches tall, transfer it to a permanent home.
Container Size
Bird of paradise grows slowly and requires to attain a definite size before it flowers. For a 3-4 feet tall plant, a 10-inch pot will be ideal, and a 5-6 foot plant grows well in a 14-inch container.
Ideal Growing Conditions Bird of Paradise
Light
Bird of paradise prefers bright light involving some direct sunlight for flowering. Though, it needs shelter from the direct afternoon sun as it can burn the foliage of the young plants. While growing indoors, keep it in a room with east or west-facing windows.
Note: Do not keep the plant in a room with a north-facing window.
Soil
Use a well-draining, rich potting mix for container-grown plants or a compost mixture. Ensure the pot has enough drainage holes so the water streams through the soil.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist across the year, though it must not be waterlogged. Water the plant daily in spring and summer as moisture loses through the foliage. Avoid overwatering and do not allow the plant to sit in water. If underwatered, the foliage becomes yellow from the center. Whereas if overwatered, the leaves turn brown.
Temperature and Humidity
This plant does well in high humid conditions; if your home is dry, mist the plant regularly.
The temperature has to be above 60 F in winter; the plant is not cold-tolerant but can be retrieved slowly from frost damage.
Bird of Paradise Care
Fertilizer
Bird of paradise is a heavy feeder, you can fertilize the plant organically with worm castings, rotted manure, or blood meal. Apart from that, balanced liquid fertilizer or slow-release pallets are also good options. Use it according to the package instructions every three months during the growing season.
For container-grown plants, feed them every two weeks with slow-release pellets or liquid fertilizer every two to three months.
Repotting
Repot the plant every spring into a one-size bigger pot. When the plant becomes mature, allow it to be pot-bound, so it starts flowering. Keep in mind that repotting interrupts the bloom cycle.
Pruning
Remove dead leaves and old flower stalks, cut the spent flower stems from the base of the plant as near to soil line. Eliminate dying leaves from the spot leaf joins the stem. Thin out the leaves from the center of the clumps for good airflow.
Overwintering
If conditions are below freezing for an extended time, the plant may die; hence it will be better to bring it indoors for winter. Though, in regions like zone 9, where it goes low for a small period, you can overwinter the plant outdoors.
Cut the leaves and stems up to just 12 inches over the ground for overwintering outdoors. Hide the whole stem and rhizome area with a layer of mulch, straw, and leaf litter. Screen it with a breathable row cover. When spring comes and the danger of the last frost gone, remove the coatings.
Pests and Diseases
Check the plant for scale, aphids, and whiteflies; if you find any of them, apply insecticidal soap to the undersides of the leaves. The plant is also vulnerable to Botrytis cinerea (gray mold), which causes dark spots on blooms and leaves. Eliminate the affected part and provide air circulation.
How to Get Bird of Paradise To Flower
When the plant is aged upto four to five years, it can start flowering. To make it bloom, keep the plant in a root-bound state. Provide the plant with a lot of sunlight (at least 6 hours of bright sunlight) and fertilize timely. The absence of flowers in the bird of paradise is caused due to less light. Also, the plants need evenly moist soil all over summer, but allow them to dry out between watering.
Common Issues with Bird of Paradise
This easy-growing plant has a few problems; it is susceptible to root rot and insects in the absence of optimal conditions. Some common issues are;
Leaves Curling
It’s a sign of underwatering; you can solve this by timely watering and making sure that water oozes out from the bottom holes. Also, do not allow the plant to sit in water, as soggy soil causes other issues.
Brown or Wilting Leaves
The most common problem that affects strelitzia is root rot. When the plant sit in water or soil stays soggy for a longer period, a fungus can overtake the plant and causes root rot. You can avoid it by allowing the soil to turn to dry out between watering.
One more sign of root rot has a rotting odor, if identified soon, plants can be saved. You can fix root rot by pulling up the root ball, eliminating moldy, the black part of the rhizomes, applying a fungicide as per instructions and repotting the plant in a sterilized pot with well-draining fresh soil.
Break or Slit in the Foliage
The large leaves develop slits or breaks in the foliage, mainly if the plant is kept outdoors for some part of the year; it is natural and normal. Slit develop to provide air-circulation to roots and leaves.
Yellow Leaves
Leaves turn yellow in the absence of ample humidity, nutrients, and water. Provide these conditions, and gradually the leaf color will be back to normal.