Bird of Paradise Plant Care

A bird of paradise needs as much light as you can give it, ideally your brightest window with several hours of direct sun. Keep the soil evenly moist in spring and summer, never soggy, and let it dry more between waterings in winter. Under those conditions the orange Strelitzia reginae blooms with its "bird head" flowers, though usually not before 5–10 years of age. The white S. nicolai, the big floor plant sold in most US stores, grows toward the ceiling and rarely blooms indoors. Split leaves are normal.

Orange or white: which one do you have?

Two species are sold, and while care is similar, what you can expect from each is not.

NC State Extension's Plant Toolbox lists S. nicolai as native to coastal dunes and forests of southern Africa (Botswana, KwaZulu-Natal, Mozambique, Zimbabwe), hardy in USDA zones 10–11, reaching 20–30 feet in its habitat, and taking 5–6 years or more before flowering.

The orange flower really does look like a bird's head. Four to six flowers emerge one after another from a horizontal green bract about 8 inches long, each with orange sepals and blue petals. In South Africa, sunbirds pollinate them by perching on the blue petals.

Light

Light drives both growth and flowering. The Royal Horticultural Society recommends a warm, sunny room or conservatory with plenty of bright light.

In winter, a strong grow light above the canopy for 12–14 hours fills the gap; see grow lights. Turn the pot a quarter turn every 2–3 weeks or the fan of leaves leans toward the window. More in light for houseplants.

Watering by season

RHS advises keeping the potting mix constantly moist but not saturated in spring and summer and reducing water gradually in fall. It also notes that large leaves lose a lot of water, so plants may need watering almost daily in hot weather. In practice:

Water until it drains, then empty the saucer after 15 minutes. A big pot on a cold floor dries slowly, so check the full depth with a wooden dowel. Basics: watering guide.

Fertilizer: RHS calls strelitzias hungry plants and recommends a liquid houseplant feed every two weeks through spring and summer. Skip October through February. See fertilizer basics.

Temperature and humidity

Normal indoor humidity of 40–60% is fine. Next to a forced-air register, leaf tips crisp and edges curl, so place large plants away from vents. See humidity.

Outdoors, both species need a frost-free climate; NC State rates S. nicolai for zones 10–11. Elsewhere they make excellent summer patio plants. Bring them back in before nights fall below 50°F.

Why the leaves split

Bird of paradise leaves are broad and tear along the veins. That's built in: in the wild, the splits let wind pass through instead of shredding the whole blade. Expect more splitting on white bird of paradise with its giant leaves, and on plants in hallways or near fans and AC vents.

You don't need to cut off split leaves. They keep photosynthesizing for years. Remove old lower leaves when they yellow by cutting the stalk at its base. Tape and glue don't help, since the tissue can't rejoin and rots under tape.

How to get it to bloom

Flowering is the big question for orange bird of paradise. Per RHS, it blooms at 5–10 years, usually from winter into spring, and each flower lasts up to a month.

1. Age. At least 4–5 years. A store-bought clump with 8–10 leaves is usually mature enough.
2. Light. Brightest window year-round, plus a summer outdoors in sun.
3. A snug pot. RHS notes a somewhat pot-bound plant flowers more readily.
4. A cool winter. November–February at 55–60°F, watered every 10–20 days.
5. Feeding every two weeks from spring through late summer.
6. Patience after division. Expect no flowers for 1–2 years after dividing or a big repot.

The sign that it's working is a flat, pointed flower spike in a leaf base that rises above the foliage over 2–3 months. If a 6–7-year-old plant in a tight pot never blooms, the cause is almost always light. More in plants not blooming.

Repotting and division

Repot every 2–3 years in spring, when roots fill the pot and water runs straight through. RHS recommends a pot only slightly larger, with a loam-based mix plus grit for drainage. In years you don't repot, replace the top 2 inches of soil.

1. Skip watering for 2–3 days so the root ball slides out.
2. Tip the pot on its side and ease the plant out whole. The fleshy roots snap easily.
3. Healthy roots are pale and firm; rotted ones are dark and mushy.
4. Choose a new pot 1–2 inches wider, heavy and stable, with drainage holes.
5. Use a rich, loose potting mix with perlite and bark. See our soil guide.
6. Keep the crown at the same depth; water after 2–3 days.

Division is done in early spring. Cut the clump with a sharp knife so each piece has several leaves and healthy roots, and pot each one in a container that fits its roots. General technique: repotting.

Seed: RHS suggests removing the orange tuft, refrigerating seeds for two weeks, nicking and soaking them, then sowing at 65–70°F. Germination takes 4–8 weeks and flowering 5–10 years.

Pests

RHS lists scale, spider mites and mealybugs. Spider mites show up in dry air near heat as fine pale speckles and webbing in leaf bases; wiping leaves every 2–3 weeks keeps them in check and lets you spot them early. Scale sits along veins and stalks, and mealybugs hide in leaf bases. Light infestations scrub off with soapy water. For heavy ones, use a product labeled for the pest, following the label, with gloves and good ventilation, away from the kitchen.

The first month after buying

Big plants come from bright, humid greenhouses, so a new one often yellows or crisps 1–2 lower leaves in its first weeks. That's the move, not a disease.

1. Put it in its permanent spot at your brightest window, without harsh midday sun for the first 7–10 days.
2. Check moisture through the full depth, since shipping peat is often dry on top and wet below.
3. Don't repot for 3–4 weeks unless roots are pushing out of the holes.
4. Inspect leaf bases and undersides for scale and mealybugs.
5. If the pot holds 3–5 separate plants, wait until spring to divide.

A new leaf in 4–8 weeks means it has settled in.

Common mistakes

• A dark corner for decor. Within six months stalks stretch, new leaves shrink, and it never blooms.
• A huge pot to grow into. The soil sours, roots rot and blooms are delayed for years.
• Dividing every year. The plant restarts each time and never flowers.
• Summer watering by a cold winter window. Cold, wet soil leads to root rot. See root rot.
• Moving into sun without hardening off. It burns in a single day.
• Placing it by a door or fan. The leaves shred.

Pet safety

The ASPCA lists bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae) as toxic to dogs, cats and horses, with mild nausea, vomiting and drowsiness, caused mainly by the fruit and seeds. Louisiana State University's veterinary toxic plant page gives the same signs. ASPCA also warns not to confuse it with the shrub Caesalpinia gilliesii, which shares the "bird of paradise" name and is more dangerous. Indoors, fruit rarely sets. If a pet chews the plant and gets sick, call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. For children, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

More options: large houseplants, flowering houseplants and toxic plants.