pruning bird of paradise houseplant

There are five species in the plant genus Strelitzia, native to South Africa. Read more articles about Bird Of Paradise. Do make sure to keep an eye on it during hot summer days: the … The bird of paradise plant (Strelitzia reginae) is a surprisingly hardy tropical beauty, with upright, paddle-shaped leaves and striking, long-lasting flowers. This article was co-authored by Lauren Kurtz. When using the saw, work slowly. The plant is grown under sunlight, and therefore does not have to get used to a sunny spot at your home. What you need to know about bird of paradise Name: bird of paradise, strelitzia , crane flower, bird’s tongue flower (Strelitzia reginae) Plant type: evergreen, forms a trunkless clump Height: to around 1.2m tall by 2–3m wide with age Foliage: similar to a small banana leaf but on a stem, very rigid, green to grey-blue. She earned a BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from Western Michigan University in 2014. How to Grow a Bird of Paradise as a Houseplant. Bird of Paradise is a stylishly sophisticated choice to be kept as an indoor houseplant. Insufficient sunlight is the top reason that a bird of paradise inside doesn’t bloom. If it looks like it needs a little boost mid-summer, then do it again. References. Be careful of drafts during the winter. It is a crucial part of rejuvenating a neglected plant. 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. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. Larger species like S. nicolai or S. alba grow up to 30 feet tall, which makes them difficult to grow in your home unless you live in a mansion with an enormous, well-lit foyer.. –> In terms of feeding, you can give your Bird Of Paradise a drink with a balanced organic liquid houseplant fertilizer in the spring. Pruning is one of the most important maintenance tasks for the landscape, but every plant has a different time and method. Keep in mind that your White Bird of Paradise will need some grooming. For more tips from our Horticulturalist co-author, including how to keep Bird of Paradise plants safe during frosts, keep reading! The anthurium's tube-shaped blooms sit atop long stalks and are dark pink. Pruning at this point will encourage new growth in the plant later in the season. 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. Its attractive large pointy leaves remain dark green in color with curious bluish-green undersides throughout the year. Bird of Paradise is a great indoor houseplant choice for filling a wide, tall, well-lit space. Begin pruning Yellow and Mexican varieties in late winter and early spring. For dense plants, use a pruning saw to cut the entire plant to about 1 foot off the ground. By using our site, you agree to our. In pots, skip repotting and let stems multiply. Remove dead flowers to the base of the plant and clean up any old vegetation that has dropped in or around the plant. You might need a friend or neighbor to hold it steady while you’re trimming to avoid getting hurt with the shears. Always wear thick safety gloves when pruning because you will be working with sharp shears. Prune the entire plant in the early spring before it produces new flowers or leaf growth to avoid damaging that season's flowers. It allows air and light into the center of older plants, increasing flowering and reducing fungal disease. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Near life-sized crane’s heads in bright, exotic plumage are the focal point of this extraordinary tropical plant. There’s something tropical and exotic about the upright stalks, the banana-shaped leaves, and the unique flowers that look like … Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 52,292 times. You can prune your Bird of Paradise easily when they’ve finished blooming! Pruning Strelitzia. Remove new growth at the base of the plant. 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). Dubbed the queen of houseplants, the bird of paradise is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with in the world of indoor plants. 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. Try to maintain the shape of the flower in a circle to ensure easy access to all sides of the flower. Don't over-water, as the plant doesn't need much moisture. By: Bonnie L. Grant, Certified Urban Agriculturist. Removing just damaged material to where it connects to the main body of the plant is how to trim a bird of paradise cleanly. Both Yellow and Mexican Bird of Paradise flowers should be pruned sparingly when flowers and stems begin to die. The flowers will last 2 to 3 weeks before dropping petals and dying. Bird-of-paradise and white bird-of-paradise both belong to the plant family Strelitziaceae. Apply the trimming and pruning techniques and assess the effect. A south-facing or west-facing window is best. It’s okay to begin pruning before all of the blooms on the plant have died. Bird of paradise is a tropical plant, thriving with high humidity. To increase humidity, run a humidifier, mist your plant every other day, or place it on a saucer of pebbles with a little water added. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It is an evergreen perennial with large paddle shaped leaves, and can grow to very tall. Master using Zoom and feel more confident online. The Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia) is a stunning exotic tropical plant with distinct flowers and leaves like a banana plant.Bird of paradise flowers look like the head of a crane or birds from the family Paradisaeidae—commonly called “birds-of-paradise.”Although this is a tropical flowering plant, birds of paradise can grow in pots indoors. Tropical Bird Of Paradise: White Vs. Orange. This is done for the same reasons as trimming, but the goals are more intensive and combined. You may wish to reduce the size of an older plant or remove leaves and stems that bar a pathway or window. Also, help answer other questions about General Gardening and Container Bird of Paradise Plants, and plants at GardeningKnowHow.com Bird of Paradise Houseplant Care. This will give you the space to clear out old foliage and let new growth begin. After 4 or 5 years, an indoor Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia Reginae) may, on rare occasions, produce an exotic … Because it does not require full sun, bird of paradise can be grown as a houseplant. 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. It is relatively hardy and adapts to a wide spectrum of light conditions from direct … Growing bird of paradise plants from seed can take three to 10 years, but propagating them by division produces new plants much more quickly. Larger leaves can be ragged from winds. They have described removing the pups and… If your plant is simply growing too large, remove the outer edges of the plant by cutting the stem and leaf to the base. The Bird of Paradise is considered the queen of the indoor plant world. Generally speaking, there is very little pruning required for White Bird of Paradise plants. About the Bird of Paradise Plant . Propagation. Do not use hedge trimmers on your Bird of Paradise because this can cause irreversible damage to the plant. This is done for the same reasons as trimming, but the goals are more intensive and combined. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. Any time you cut into a plant you should have sharp implements, safety garb, and sanitized equipment to prevent introducing and spreading disease. These instructions were very clear.". You may wish to reduce the size of an older plant or remove leaves and stems that bar a pathway or window. 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. This plant likes to be crowded. Lauren Kurtz is a Naturalist and Horticultural Specialist. Bird of paradise can be cleaned up and trimmed at any point, but serious pruning should wait until early spring. Last Updated: April 23, 2020 However, there are a few things to keep in mind to help them thrive in optimum condition: Flowering Bird of Paradise Varieties. After cold winter weather ends, you can start assessing your Yellow and Mexican Bird of Paradise flowers to prune them. These flowers can grow to be extremely large, and they require regular maintenance to stay healthy. Never remove more than one third of plant material per season and follow up with good cultural care. This article has been viewed 52,292 times. If your plant is in a pot, bring it indoors during very cold temperatures to prevent freezing of the leaves and flowers. Strelitzia Nicolai (Giant white bird of paradise) is an ornamental house plant. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. This article was co-authored by Lauren Kurtz. Keep the clivia from exposure to excessive cold if it is a houseplant to prevent damage at the cut areas. For more tips from our Horticulturalist co-author, including how to keep Bird of Paradise plants safe during frosts, keep reading! 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. The Bird of Paradise flower is brightly colored and can grow extremely large as long as you prune it after it has finished blooming. Here’s how to care for birds of paradise to keep them at their best. Help answer a question about white bird of paradise houseplant - Gardening Know How Questions & Answers. Always wear thick gardening gloves when pruning. Need to know how to prune a bird of paradise? 65⁰F to 75⁰F temperature range is ideal. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! The Bird of Paradise flower is brightly colored with spiky-looking blooms that are eye catching and exciting in any garden. It’s not just their sheer size and impressive foliage but the plant’s namesake blooms. Feeding. This helps your plant to look clean and colorful year round! This can form a compacted, hard ball that comes out of the pot with effort, retaining the shape of the pot. {"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":"