About the Bird of Paradise Plant . Remove new growth at the base of the plant. If it looks like it needs a little boost mid-summer, then do it again. Retain any leaves with more than 50% live tissue. These plants can easily grow to be up to 5 feet (1.5 m) in diameter, so refrain from planting other flowers in the surrounding area. Bird of Paradise is a great indoor houseplant choice for filling a wide, tall, well-lit space. The slow-growing Strelitzia juncea grows up to 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and has leaves that disappear over time, giving the plant appearance of a waterside reed or rush. Its attractive large pointy leaves remain dark green in color with curious bluish-green undersides throughout the year. You can prune your Bird of Paradise easily when they’ve finished blooming! If your plant is simply growing too large, remove the outer edges of the plant by cutting the stem and leaf to the base. Bird of Paradise Houseplant Care. Often referred to as banana plant, since the leaves do have a very similar shape to those of a banana tree, Strelitzia is a much hardier choice to be kept as an indoor houseplant. Always wear thick gardening gloves when pruning. This article was co-authored by Lauren Kurtz. Help answer a question about white bird of paradise houseplant - Gardening Know How Questions & Answers. The white bird of paradise, or Strelitzia nicolai, is an ornamental plant related to the banana tree and can be potted and grown in sunny locations indoors or in your garden. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. There are five Strelitzia species. The inflorescence is composed of a dark blue bract, white sepals and a bluish-purple tongue. However, keeping the bird of paradise plant indoor has become more popular in the last 30 years, and the care for it is most essential. Keep in mind that your White Bird of Paradise will need some grooming. Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. Insufficient sunlight is the top reason that a bird of paradise inside doesn’t bloom. After 4 or 5 years, an indoor Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia Reginae) may, on rare occasions, produce an exotic … By Division It will grow quite large outside, 20 to 30 feet tall and 10 feet wide, and will become ragged looking if not pruned often. This plant likes to be crowded. ... –> In terms of feeding, you can give your Bird Of Paradise a drink with a balanced organic liquid houseplant fertilizer in the spring. "I needed to understand the process of dead-heading my Bird of Paradise. Master using Zoom and feel more confident online. Strelitzia Nicolai (Giant white bird of paradise) is an ornamental house plant. Birds of paradise are large, relatively easy to grow plants that lend a bold tropical flair to any indoor space. Near life-sized crane’s heads in bright, exotic plumage are the focal point of this extraordinary tropical plant. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. It’s not just their sheer size and impressive foliage but the plant’s namesake blooms. You can trim a bird of paradise at any point since you are only removing a small amount of plant matter, so damage potential is minimal. When using the saw, work slowly. These flowers can grow to be extremely large, and they require regular maintenance to stay healthy. The Bird of Paradise plant has South African roots, and therefore naturally prefers a light spot. Begin pruning Yellow and Mexican varieties in late winter and early spring. References. Bird Of Paradise don’t require much pruning at all. Q. Bird-of-Paradise Houseplant - My bird-of-paradise is 4 years old and has never bloomed. If it looks like it needs a little boost mid-summer, then do it again. Always be careful on the ladder! The flowers will last 2 to 3 weeks before dropping petals and dying. Getting Started. This involves harder pruning and should be attacked in early spring. It’s okay to begin pruning before all of the blooms on the plant have died. Bird of Paradise is a stylishly sophisticated choice to be kept as an indoor houseplant. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 52,292 times. They have described removing the pups and… Never remove more than one third of plant material per season and follow up with good cultural care. If your plant is in a pot, bring it indoors during very cold temperatures to prevent freezing of the leaves and flowers. This article has been viewed 52,292 times. The Bird of Paradise flower is brightly colored with spiky-looking blooms that are eye catching and exciting in any garden. This is done for the same reasons as trimming, but the goals are more intensive and combined. What Are The Different Types Of Bird Of Paradise Plants, Feeding Bird Of Paradise Plants – How To Fertilize Bird Of Paradise Plants, What Are Loppers Used For: Tips On Using Garden Loppers For Pruning, Planting A Giving Garden: Food Bank Garden Ideas, Giving To Food Deserts – How To Donate To Food Deserts, December To-Do List – What To Do In December Gardens, Black Walnut Tree Compatible Plants: Plants That Grow Under Black Walnut Trees, Growing And Planting Smoke Trees In The Landscape, Information On How To Prune Roots On Houseplants, Recipes From The Garden: Pressure Cooking Root Vegetables, Gratitude For The Garden – Being Grateful For Each Growing Season, 7 Reasons To Do Your Garden Shopping Locally, Thankful Beyond Words – What Represents Gratefulness In My Garden. Do not use hedge trimmers on your Bird of Paradise because this can cause irreversible damage to the plant. It is a crucial part of rejuvenating a neglected plant. Pruning Strelitzia. She earned a BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from Western Michigan University in 2014. Need to know how to prune a bird of paradise? If you hit a particularly dense area, use your pruning shears to pre-cut some of the stems to make the area a little easier to cut through. A south-facing or west-facing window is best. There are also desert-thriving bird of paradise plants found in another genus – red bird of paradise (Caesaepinia pulcherrima), yellow bird of paradise (C. gilliesii), and the Mexican bird of paradise (C. mexicana). Look for brown, dead flowers, and cut the stem of these growths as close as possible to the base of the plant. Add water to the white bird of paradise plant following pruning, to ensure that it recovers. You may trim it here and there if it gets too crowded. The plant is grown under sunlight, and therefore does not have to get used to a sunny spot at your home. The bird of paradise pruning should be done in early spring. It is a trunk forming, clustering tree to 6m high with banana-like shiny green leathery leaves, having an obtuse base arranged in two ranks. Bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae) is one of those plants that you don’t forget. Make sure to remove leaves from time to time. The anthurium's tube-shaped blooms sit atop long stalks and are dark pink. These instructions were very clear.". Both Yellow and Mexican Bird of Paradise flowers should be pruned sparingly when flowers and stems begin to die. % of people told us that this article helped them. It is relatively hardy and adapts to a wide spectrum of light conditions from direct … For more tips from our Horticulturalist co-author, including how to keep Bird of Paradise plants safe during frosts, keep reading! Sign up for our newsletter. There are five species of bird of paradise, in Strelizia genus, and not all of them are suitable for growing indoors.. Pot not included. Bird of paradise plants grow wild among other shrubs along riverbanks in many parts of South Africa, and are important sources of nectar for birds. 65⁰F to 75⁰F temperature range is ideal. You may wish to reduce the size of an older plant or remove leaves and stems that bar a pathway or window. Bird of paradise can be cleaned up and trimmed at any point, but serious pruning should wait until early spring. This is done for the same reasons as trimming, but the goals are more intensive and combined. Apply the trimming and pruning techniques and assess the effect. If often means the plant isn't healthy because the roots have replaced the potting soil. –> In terms of feeding, you can give your Bird Of Paradise a drink with a balanced organic liquid houseplant fertilizer in the spring. The flowers are excellent for cutting. This is the first opportunity for pruning birds of paradise, but not the last. This article was co-authored by Lauren Kurtz. In pots, skip repotting and let stems multiply. With proper care, a bird of paradise can grow to over six feet tall, even indoors. To my mind, trimming is different than pruning, and thinning is another thing altogether. This helps your plant to look clean and colorful year round! Even indoors, a Bird of Paradise plant can easily reach a height of 6ft-7ft. It is an evergreen perennial with large paddle shaped leaves, and can grow to very tall. For more tips from our Horticulturalist co-author, including how to keep Bird of Paradise plants safe during frosts, keep reading! It allows air and light into the center of older plants, increasing flowering and reducing fungal disease. There’s nothing more exotic than an indoor bird of paradise, but growing a bird of paradise as a houseplant requires sun, quite a lot of it, in order to thrive and bloom. It sits in a south window, so it gets plenty of sunshine.… Q. A male bird of paradise has a plumage which has long feathers of yellow and white shades, this bird has blue beak, brownish body feathers which have a hint of orange in them. The bird of paradise plant (Strelitzia reginae) is a surprisingly hardy tropical beauty, with upright, paddle-shaped leaves and striking, long-lasting flowers. Last Updated: April 23, 2020 This can form a compacted, hard ball that comes out of the pot with effort, retaining the shape of the pot. The Bird of Paradise is considered the queen of the indoor plant world. Here’s how to care for birds of paradise to keep them at their best. Bird-of-paradise and white bird-of-paradise both belong to the plant family Strelitziaceae. They are fairly easy to take care of. Always wear thick safety gloves when pruning because you will be working with sharp shears. The Bird of Paradise flower is brightly colored and can grow extremely large as long as you prune it after it has finished blooming. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. Generally speaking, there is very little pruning required for White Bird of Paradise plants. Because it does not require full sun, bird of paradise can be grown as a houseplant. Note: Picture is a guide only, plant size may differ from image. Also, help answer other questions about General Gardening and Container Bird of Paradise Plants, and plants at GardeningKnowHow.com By using our site, you agree to our. Feeding. The Strelitzia, commonly known as the Bird of Paradise Plant, is the spectacular, unmistakable and unchallenged Queen of the houseplant world.One look at it when it's in flower and you know where it got its common name; the flowers look incredibly like the head of a rather exotic crested bird. Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. Place it near your sunniest window. Pruning. Always try to remove any dead foliage as close to the stump of the plant as possible to maintain the trimmed appearance of the plant. Do make sure to keep an eye on it during hot summer days: the … If you have even 2 or 3 dead blooms, removing them can help the remaining flowers live longer. The strelitzia group of plants have flowers which have colors which match the yellow, blue, and brown shades and hence the resemblance. Growing bird of paradise plants from seed can take three to 10 years, but propagating them by division produces new plants much more quickly. A rootbound plant means that the roots have completely taken up the pot, often circling and creating a dense web of roots. Thinning is another way of cleaning up a bird of paradise. Red Bird of Paradise flowers are very hardy and can handle heavy pruning two times per year if the plant is healthy. You can divide it with a shovel and saw for replanting elsewhere. Be careful of drafts during the winter. They are called bird of paradise because of their resemblance to an exotic tropical bird. For dense plants, use a pruning saw to cut the entire plant to about 1 foot off the ground. Trimming is when you remove just a bit of the plant where it is damaged, dead, or diseased. Any time you cut into a plant you should have sharp implements, safety garb, and sanitized equipment to prevent introducing and spreading disease. It can be grown outdoors, as a landscape specimen in frost-free areas. Removing Sago Palm Pups - I have read articles describing the removal of the pups from sago palms. Tropical Bird Of Paradise: White Vs. Orange. Houseplant The very popular birds of paradise houseplant. A Bird of Paradise that is trimmed in this way will normally grow back within 1-2 blooming seasons if treated with water and fertilizer. Try to maintain the shape of the flower in a circle to ensure easy access to all sides of the flower. Tight quarters. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Its broad, arching leaves make a dramatic, graceful statement in your home. In colder climates, this plant will thrive in … https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/bop/bird-of-paradise-pruning.htm, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/cut-back-bird-paradise-40632.html, https://www.green.ucf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/LNR-SOP-703-Pruning-Bird-of-Paradise.pdf, http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/bird-of-paradise.html, https://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1898, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. The flower has large, dark green, heart-shaped leaves. Removing just damaged material to where it connects to the main body of the plant is how to trim a bird of paradise cleanly. Use loppers, hand pruners or a pruning saw, but never hedge trimmers which will make rough cuts and leave ragged, damaged edges. Remove dead flowers to the base of the plant and clean up any old vegetation that has dropped in or around the plant. Pruning an anthurium is best done after the plant has stopped blooming for the year. This leaves no dead stems to mar the beauty of the plant. Bird of Paradise flowers won’t naturally shed dead stems after the flower is removed, so it’s important to remove as much of the stem as possible. If the plant isn’t growing well throughout the year, prune at least half of the stems to the ground to allow the plant to grow healthy. This article has been viewed 52,292 times. You might need a friend or neighbor to hold it steady while you’re trimming to avoid getting hurt with the shears. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Bird of paradise pruning is a more serious affair. There’s something tropical and exotic about the upright stalks, the banana-shaped leaves, and the unique flowers that look like … Propagation. Anthuriums grow outdoors in tropical climates but can also grow well within indoor pots. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/5f\/Prune-a-Bird-of-Paradise-Plant-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Prune-a-Bird-of-Paradise-Plant-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/5f\/Prune-a-Bird-of-Paradise-Plant-Step-1.jpg\/aid9830044-v4-728px-Prune-a-Bird-of-Paradise-Plant-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"