Q&A for How to Grow Bird of Paradise

Yes, and that's one of the reasons that bird of paradise are so popular as houseplants. They do just fine outside as well, so it's really up to you where you want to keep your plant. They're extremely durable too so long as you water them regularly and you give them enough sunlight.

Over watering will probably cause your entire plant to die. Be very careful about giving your plant the correct amount of water!

Bird of paradise blooms better when it is root-bound -- you want to keep the pot's maximum size to 12 inches (30.5 cm). Repot when your plant seems top-heavy and unsteady.

It might be because you are watering it too much or too little. Bird of Paradise is very sensitive about watering, so try to water it around the same time every two days.

It depends on the leaves. Usually it's because of fall or change of temperature. It could also be that it's not getting enough water or the soil is cheap/inadequate.

They're trying to hide from the sun because it's too hot. Try putting them in a shadier spot for a few days.

Yes and no. This plant is best left alone to mature so that it is forced to flower. Unless you need to trim or repot it, or use cuttings, leave it alone as much as you can. You can cut back old dead leaves and flowers that have senesced. The other exception is cutting it back to look for bugs before it comes in for the fall or for its health.

Drink it, or use it as an all-natural lip gloss. It is highly attractive to birds.

There are several species and varieties of bird of paradise plants. Most grow to 3-6 feet, and can take years to mature enough to flower.

Probably only in a container or green house. Minimum winter temperature is -50 degrees.

Follow the instructions on the package as they must be moist, not wet. They will also need lots of warmth/heat.

I use a sharp knife and that has always worked just fine for me.

Avoid cutting the apical meristem or the main growing point of the plant. The plant gets lost for a while, but you can trim back the outside leaves without much trauma to the plant. You can trim the flower stalk after blooming. Discolored leaves do not contribute much to the plant. Eventually, new growth occurs, but cutting the top off stresses the plant.

Yes, the dead stalk won't regenerate.

The plant will continue to grow. I started my plant when it was about five inches in size, and in a bag, from Hawaii. After more than ten years, it is approximately ten feet tall and continues to grow. I replace the pot each time the plant outgrows it. Currently, it is starting to crack the very large (double-walled plastic) pot it is in, and someday soon I will find a larger pot.

No. They remain strong and healthy throughout the entire year. However, if you fail to provide enough water, then the smaller leaves will die to protect the larger leaves.

You find small versions of the plant easily on sites like Walmart.com, Amazon or Etsy. You can also check home improvement stores and your local plant nursery.

Some people tease out the flower with a toothpick or paper clip, but this can lead to disaster. In nature, the wind and the movement of the plant would shake out the flower with time. It may take a week to flower. Make sure there is adequate moisture but that the plant is not wet; sometimes, a drop of water on the flower (gutation) indicates sufficient water. It should have been fertilized during the summer or during the growing season too. The flower not coming out indicates a lack of strength, perhaps caused by inadequate light, water, or minerals.

You may want to break up the plant and rootball, cutting back is more of a surface measure. Is the plant potted or outside? A mature plant or potbound plant (or fertilzer pushed) plant will bloom, but a fresh growing plant may need a year or more to mature and bloom. Cutting back the leaves may not help, but it is not that traumatic to the plant.

It is not advised. Use a tropical soil mix or use a medium mix with some sand. It is a tropical plant that has demanding roots/rhizomes. The wood or bark in orchid mix would hinder flowering, as it decomposes and could change the pH of the soil.

When the flower is dead, the seed pod will be in the middle near the dead leaves.

Give it lots of direct sun light, water only after soil dries out (once every couple of weeks soak the soil), use 10-10-10 plant food.

Bird of Paradise plants tend to thrive in a more acidic soil with a pH of 6.0-6.5.