Growing a bird of paradise plant can dramatically alter your landscape.
Wherever you grow it, the plant requires maintenance to remain healthy.
Bird of paradise plants arenative to tropical and subtropical areasof southeastern Africa.
Credit:Denny Schrock
The common name, bird of paradise, is attributed to several plants in theStrelitziagenus.
Of the recognized species(S. reginae, S. juncea, S. nicolai, S. caudata, andS.
alba),the first two are the easiest to grow as houseplants.
Credit: Denny Schrock
Bird of paradise plants are hardy outdoors only in USDA Zones 10 and 11.
Make the hole as deep and approximately twice as wide as the root ball.
Dont make the hole too deep, or the plant may be slow to flower.
Credit: Edward Gohlich
Avoid north-facing windows where the light may be insufficient.
If you keep your plant in bright sunlight, you may need to water it more often.
Just pay attention to how the plant responds.
Credit: Gordon Beall
If it gets too much or too little moisture, the leaves will begin to yellow and die.
Something like a 5-5-5 or a 10-10-10 fertilizer is sufficient.
For the amount to use, follow the product label directions.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
You should also remove dead leaves and old flower stalks to reduce the risk of fungal organisms.
Prune the leaf stem or flower stalk at the base of the plant.
If your plant is getting too big, remove outer leaves to reduce the overall size.
Credit: Edward Gohlich
Its best to do this in early spring before new growth begins.
Potting and Repotting
In containers, bird of paradise plants can be kept to manageable houseplant sizes.
For example, whengrown indoors or as potted patio plants,S.
Credit: Edward Gohlich
reginaetends to be shorter, which makes it great for smaller spaces.S.
Slide the plant out of its container and gently loosen the roots with your fingers.
Set the root ball in the new pot and use fresh potting mix to fill in around the roots.
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Water the plant well to help the soil settle around the roots.
Remove any infected leaves from the plant as well as any fallen leaves.
Its also a good idea to avoid overhead watering.
verify the plant has sufficient airflow between it and other plants.
The best time to propagate the plant is early spring.
It grows 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide.
Zones 10-11
White Bird of Paradise
Strelitzia nicolaigrows like a tree with a fan of 5-foot-long leaves.
It produces white flowers in spring and grows 30 feet tall and 15 feet wide.
Daylily
Daylilies areso easy to growthat youll often find escapees popping up in ditches and fields.
Yet they look so delicate, producing trumpet-shaped blooms in myriad colors.
The strappy foliage may be evergreen or deciduous.
Kangaroo Paw
Make a statement in your garden withkangaroo paw.
The blooms last a long time and make great cut flowers.
Sago Palm
Complete the tropical look by pairing bird of paradise with a showysago palm.
Although this plant looks like a tinypalm treewith its glossy, stiff fronds, its actually a cycad.
Its easy to grow as a houseplant, but be careful because the sago palm is toxic.
However, the beautiful clusters of lavender-pink flowers have a sweet fragrance similar to the scent ofhyacinthblossoms.
They open on tall stems from early summer until late fall.
Noted for its drought tolerance,society garlichas become a staple in theSouthern California landscape.
The leaves will curl if the plant is underwatered.
Give the plant more water and watch to ensure that the water comes out the drainage hole.
When the plant sits in wet soil, other problems can occur.
Bird of Paradise Flower.
The Dangers of the Sago Palm.ASPCA
