How tall will bird of paradise grow

Bottom: a secondary spathe produced from the primary spathe. Each flower consist of 3 orange sepals and 3 blue petals.

Two of the blue petals are joined together to form an arrow-like nectary. When birds that pollinate the flowers sit to drink the nectar, the petals open to cover their feet in pollen.

The older flowers dry up after a while. These can be carefully removed as newer flowers emerge, to keep the bloom looking fresh, or can be left to shrivel on the flower stalk. Occasionally a second spathe will be produced from the primary one, giving a double tier of flowers. Bird of paradise can easily be grown as a houseplant to bring a touch of the tropics to our cold climate. It needs a sunny spot indoors during the winter and does best when moved outside for the summer but be careful to acclimate it to the stronger light outdoors or it could get sunburned.

One of the most common reasons mature Strelitzia do not bloom well is insufficient light. They require nearly full sun in the summer and as much light as possible in winter to bloom. Keep the soil moist in the summer, but allow the pot to dry out between waterings when indoors. Bird of paradise can be grown as a houseplant to lend a tropical flair. Also, do not plant too deeply. Exposure of the top of the roots supposedly encourages flowering. Early spring is the best time when repotting is necessary i.

Plant in any well-draining soil or soilless potting mix in a large pot or tub. Strelitzia does not have many pest problems but mealybugs, scale and spider mites may infest the plants. It is easy to wipe the large leaves off with a soft cloth do not use any leafshine product, as that could damage the natural matte finish. Houseplant insecticides can also be used.

Small bird of paradise can be purchased at nurseries or by mail order. Bird of paradise can be propagated from seeds or division. Organic mulches — such as wood chips, bark, pine needles, or leaves — are suitable, as are crushed stone or gravel in areas where lighter materials may blow away. While these plants can live in the garden without supplemental fertilization, the addition of a balanced fertilizer will produce the best growth and flowering.

The best types of fertilizer to use include organic ones like well-rotted manure, worm castings , or blood meal, or a controlled release balanced product like Osmocote, available via Amazon , or granular landscape fertilizers. Apply according to package instructions to a full grown clump every three months during the growing season. If you are growing your plants in containers, you can fertilize them every two weeks with a liquid fertilizer or apply slow release pellets every two to three months.

The most important thing that you will need to do in terms of upkeep is to remove the dead leaves and old flower stalks, so that fungi do not build up in them. Spent flower stalks can be cut off at the base of the plant, as close to the soil line as possible. Dead or dying foliage should be cut at the point the leaf meets the stem. In the case of large clumps, you can thin out the foliage from the center of the clump to allow for increased airflow.

The giant bird of paradise, S. You can usually find birds of paradise for sale at local garden centers and nurseries in areas where they thrive. Known and beloved by so many throughout the world, the orange and blue flowers of S. Bird of Paradise, S. You can find one- to two-feet-tall plants in one gallon containers available via Amazon.

It is also known as giant white bird of paradise or African wild banana — thanks to its large leaves. This species can grow up to 20 feet high and five to six feet wide, so do not mistake it for the common bird of paradise and plant it in front of a window! Giant Bird of Paradise, S. The flowers have bright yellow petals and a blue tongue. Plants grow to a mature height of four to five feet tall, with a similar spread.

You can learn more about the different types of bird of paradise plants here. Insects are rarely a problem, but aphids , scale , snails , grasshoppers, and caterpillars may occasionally graze on the plants. You can control them with systemic insecticides or snail bait. Mealybugs and spider mites can infest the leaves. Just wipe them off with a soft cloth. You also have the option of using organic insecticides like neem oil to tackle an infestation.

The larvae of Opogona omoscopa moths bore into the crowns of plants, causing the foliage to turn yellow, wilt, and die. Experts believe these are secondary pests that are attracted to decaying tissue.

You can prevent this type of infestation by providing good cultural care. Remove dead or dying plant debris that attracts the moths and avoid excessive watering.

While there are a number of whitefly species that attack plants, the giant whitefly Aleurodicus dugesii is a particular pest of bird of paradise. Not only does this pest suck vital nutrients out of the plant, it also secretes a sugary substance called honeydew that can draw copious amounts of ants. Early detection is important for the control of this pest. If you catch it early enough, you can spray the plants with water from the hose to remove the whiteflies. Read more about controlling whiteflies here.

Several types of fungi and a common bacterial pathogen can occasionally afflict bird of paradise plants. Discolored leaves are a symptom of Armillaria. There is no cure, and fungal colonies can live for thousands of years. You will have to remove your plant if it contracts this disease. The common bacterium Pseudomonas solanacearum can live in the soil for more than six years, and it may infect bird of paradise plants through their roots.

Initial signs of infection include wilting and yellowing of the leaves. Then, the base of the plant will begin to turn black or brown at the soil line. If your plant is infested, you should remove and destroy it to prevent the disease from spreading. For a nice change of pace, this type of infection — caused by a variety of fungal pathogens — is not usually a serious problem for bird of paradise plants. Leaves that are infected develop black, tan, brown, or yellow spots or patches.

They may wither and drop off the plant. Most bird of paradise plants can handle this disease. In fact, the picture of this infection that you see above depicts an otherwise healthy plant. Providing good cultural care and sanitation will usually help to control a fungal leaf spot infection. If necessary, you can spray plants with neem oil every days. Also known as botrytis blight, gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea can infect an array of plants and is well known as the cause of rot in strawberries.

Infected flowers and leaves will have a gray film over them, which gives disease its common name. Eventually, the leaves will wilt, decay, and drop from the plant. Prevention includes removing fallen and decaying debris and dying plant tissue. Also, avoid overhead watering. Fungicides are sometimes effective, but this fungus is notorious for developing resistance to them — sometimes during the first season of use. In some cases, a biofungicide such as Cease can control this disease.

This product contains a strain of Bacillus subtilis and is available from Arbico Organics. Spray your plants once a week but if you have a serious infection, you can spray every three days. Bird of paradise seeds can harbor a fungal pathogen that causes root rot, also known as damping off.

You can prevent this by soaking seeds at room temperature for 24 hours. The plants make a beautiful focal point in a garden or a delightful houseplant in cooler regions, especially if you have a sunroom.

As if having a large perennial with stunning flowers in your yard was not enough, these types of plants have some unusual advantages. Bird of paradise leaves are evergreen and remain on the plant. This makes them an excellent choice for adding ornamental interest near swimming pools, where shedding leaves can create a maintenance problem. They also serve as beautiful cut flowers, and with a little care and some fresh flower food can last up to two weeks in a vase.

Learn more about how to make your fresh flowers last longer in this guide. You may not realize that this stunning plant was once an exciting novelty from a foreign land. Now it is a low-care fixture in places with warm climates, such as southern California and Florida.

The plants are popular both for landscaping and growing as houseplants. With proper care, they will thrive and produce up to three dozen flowers a year. Are you growing bird of paradise plants? Tell us about your experience and share your tips in the comments section below.

And for more information on how to grow other unique flowering plants , check out these guides next:. See our TOS for more details. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock. With additional writing and editing by Allison Sidhu and Clare Groom. When planting outdoors, dig a hole about twice the size of the root ball if the plant is immature, or about the same size if it's 4 to 5 years old -- considered a mature plant.

Indoors, transplant the bird of paradise each spring until you reach a pot size of 12 inches. Even fully mature plants don't need larger pots, as the smaller pots allow the roots to intertwine. Birds of paradise are timid bloomers unless the conditions are just right.

They don't typically bloom until they are at least four to five years old, and some wait closer to 10 years. If you transplant a mature plant, it can skip a year of blooming. If it is crowded by other plants, the blooms might not appear. You can plant small plants near the base of the bird of paradise if you wish, such as blooming annuals or decorative grasses, as these won't interfere with the sunlight.