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If it has grown in a less well-lighted spot previously, be careful to expose it to full sun bit by bit so it won’t burn. However, indoors-especially in winter-it will need all the sun it can get.įor that reason, place bird of paradise plants near a large south-facing window or in a sunroom or greenhouse. In the South, it often is planted in partial shade outdoors, where both its leaves and flowers grow larger than they would in full sun. The bird of paradise reportedly needs at least four to six hours of sunlight per day to flower, with those blooms generally appearing in the cooler months, from autumn through spring.

Keep in mind that you are going to want to leave your bird of paradise in the same container for an extended period of time, since it blooms best when a bit potbound and with its roots undisturbed. When potting up your plant, place it so that the top of its root ball is just at the surface of the soil, since planting it too deep reportedly can prevent its blooming. (White bird of paradise care is similar to that of the more common orange variety, so its soil should be, too.) If you prefer to create your own, Plantz Africa’s suggested potting soil for strelitzias includes three parts coarse bark, three parts compost, two parts garden loam, two parts sand, one part 3-1-5 or 3-2-2 organic fertilizer, and one-half part bone meal. Photo: Selecting Soil for Bird of Paradise Plantsīecause the bird of paradise enjoys well-drained, humus-rich soil, an organic potting mix should work well for it. Appropriately enough, strelitzias are pollinated by birds, which land on petal “perches.” The bird of paradise tree or shrub ( Caesalpinia spp) is a different genus, not covered in this article. All three have leaves similar to those of banana plants but with longer stems. However, Strelitzia nicolai (giant bird of paradise) grows to 30 feet, while caudata and alba top out at about 20 feet. caudata exhibit blue petals, white sepals, and purple spathes, though the petals can be mauvish on S. reginae has paddle-like leaves compared to S. Although both plants grow to 6 feet high, S. juncea, the petals are blue, the sepals orange, and the spathes a blue-green tone. Native to South Africa and hardy in USDA zones 9b through 12, the bird of paradise flower ( Strelitzia spp) resembles a bird’s head, with a horizontal “beak” (spathe) from which petals and sepals rise. Related: 10 Huge Houseplants That Make a Statement Bird of Paradise Characteristics Temperature and Humidity: Warm days, cool nights, high humidity Should you be a more patient and thrifty type who likes a challenge, start with the aforementioned pup or with seed. So, if you prefer immediate results from the houseplants in your indoor Eden, purchase a full-sized specimen already in flower. And then, judging by the many querulous queries found about the plant on the internet, it still often fails to bloom. Bird of paradise care actually isn’t difficult, provided you have a sufficiently sunny window in which to place your tropical “bird.” However, a seedling or “pup” takes several years to grow large enough to flower indoors.
