Bird Of Paradise Plant Care
Helpful Tips for Bird of Paradise Plant Care
If you are interested in growing something tropical, we recommend you learn proper Bird of Paradise plant care. Officially called “Crane Flowers”, this flower species (Strelitzia reginae) comes from South Africa. The gorgeous orange and blue flowers and shape of the flowers with long “wings” makes the plant appear as if a bird in flight, which is why it is so fondly called the Bird of Paradise. Although seen in tropical settings such as the Caribbean and Hawaii, this flower actually grows well in many regions.
The most popular use for the crane flower is landscaping due to the beautiful flowers along with foliage that looks like miniature banana leaves but with long petioles. Interestingly, the leaves grow in such a way that they create a fan-like crown of evergreen that is dense, glossy, and waxy. With this, the Bird of Paradise is extremely ornamental. In addition to growing this type of flower outdoors, it is a popular choice used by florists for weddings, home floral arrangements, and other special occasions. Regardless, the most important thing is to learn about Bird of Paradise plant care in that they do have some specific needs.
The first step for Bird of Paradise plant care is to make sure the plant is placed in a hole about three times larger than the root ball diameter. Once the hole has been prepared, the plant would be removed from the container and watered, then set into the hole. Just be sure the top portion of the root ball is not planted any deeper than the surface of the soil. Unfortunately, many people make the mistake of planting too deep, which delays flowering and prevents the plant from growing properly.
Another important tip for Bird of Paradise plant care has to do with sunlight. Remember, this particular flower is tropical so it needs at least four hours of full sunlight a day. If you want to grow the plant indoors, we recommend you keep it in a sunroom or a south facing window to accommodate light requirements. Water is another key to proper Bird of Paradise plant care. To ensure the plant grows strong but also that flowers are vibrantly colored, it needs to be thoroughly watered. However, make sure the soil dries completely between watering. Then during the winter, less water would be required.
Next, both humidity and outside temperature are important factors for proper Bird of Paradise plant care. First, humidity is essential for this plant, which is why it does so well in tropical settings. However, it can also be grown successfully in states with high levels of humidity such as Missouri, Florida, Mississippi, etc or indoors if sprayed. Second, most people are surprised that the Bird of Paradise handles inside temperatures of 60 to 75 degrees and in the spring and winter, the plant easily handles temperature between 50 and 55 degrees.
Finally, proper Bird of Paradise plant care also means fertilizing and pruning. This plant needs to be fertilized ever two weeks with 10-10-10 fertilizer from March to September and then every two months during peak growing periods. For pruning, the plant should be deadheaded (removing old flowers), as well as old stalks being cut off prior to fertilizing to help the plant grow but also for aesthetics.