Bird of paradise care: sun, water and flowers

Light

Sun is the price of flowers. Clemson describes full sun as the preference and a south window as the lower limit, and NC State lists it for full sun to part shade, six hours of direct light or at least two. In Illinois Extension terms, that puts the plant in front of a south window, the only indoor spot rated at direct light (about 1,500 foot-candles), or right at an east or west window for the 300 foot-candles of bright light. A bird of paradise parked in the middle of a living room will live for years on that light, adding leaf after leaf, and never send up a single beak.

Missouri Botanical Garden adds one nuance: indoors, screen it from the very brightest direct summer sun through glass. A sheer curtain at midday in July does the job. Better still, once outdoor temperatures hold above 70°F, NC State suggests moving the pot outside to a sunny or semi-shaded spot with good air circulation, then bringing it back before nights turn cool.

Water

Clemson's instruction is short: wet the potting mix thoroughly, then let it dry slightly before the next watering. In practice that means pouring until water runs from the drainage hole and checking again only when the top inch feels dry under your finger. A large clump in a big pot can hold moisture deep down long after the surface looks pale, so push a finger or a wooden skewer well into the mix before deciding.

Spring and summer are the thirsty months. NC State says to water freely in that season, when new fans are unrolling from the rhizome and, on a mature plant, bloom stalks are forming. A pot moved outdoors into full sun may need water far more often than it ever did on the windowsill.

From late fall through winter, both NC State and Missouri Botanical Garden say to keep the plant drier. Shorter days slow growth, the mix stays wet longer, and Clemson points to slow-draining soil and too-frequent watering as the usual causes of root rot. Watering by the calendar in December is how most indoor clumps get into trouble.

Soil and pH

This is a heavy, fleshy-rooted plant, and it wants a mix with some body. NC State calls for fertile, loamy, well-drained soil, and Missouri Botanical Garden notes that in the ground it loves rich loam, though it tolerates most soils. A loam-based potting mix with some compost, opened up with coarse sand or perlite so excess water drains in seconds, matches that description. Use a pot with a drainage hole and enough weight to keep five feet of leaves from tipping over.

Humidity

Clemson suggests moderate relative humidity, around 60 percent, and warns that keeping it there in the dry months may take daily misting. Most heated homes run well below that in winter. The Illinois Extension notes that most homes drop below 30 percent humidity in winter and suggests a humidifier, a tray of wet pebbles under the pot, or grouping plants together; it also warns that misting raises humidity only briefly and, overdone, can encourage disease.

Temperature

Clemson's ideal is 65 to 70°F by day and 50 to 55°F at night, while NC State and Missouri Botanical Garden give 55 to 65°F for nights. That cool-night pattern suits most homes in winter. Treat 50°F as the floor: Clemson advises bringing summering plants indoors as soon as outdoor temperatures begin to fall below 60°F, and Missouri Botanical Garden notes that frost damages both leaves and flowers.

Fertilizer

Clemson gives an unusually specific schedule: feed every two weeks in spring, every week in summer, and not at all in fall or winter. Use a houseplant fertilizer at the label rate, never stronger; the Illinois Extension suggests balanced formulas such as 10-10-10 or a 1:2:1 ratio. The catch is in the same Clemson fact sheet: overfertilizing produces excessive foliage with little or no flowering. If a sunny plant is all leaves, ease off before you blame the light.

Work out the dose for your watering can with the fertilizer dilution calculator →

Repotting

Repot or divide in early spring, before new growth starts, the timing Clemson gives for dividing the rhizomes. Slide the root ball out and look: roots wound into a solid mass, or fans pressing against the rim, mean it is time. For a plant you want to keep whole, choose a pot only one or two inches wider than the old one, as Clemson's general repotting guidance advises, since a huge pot of wet mix around a slow-drinking clump invites rot.

• Rhizomes and leaf fans crowd the rim of the pot
• Roots circle in a solid mass when the root ball is slid out
• The mix dries out within a day or two of a thorough watering in summer

Propagation

Division is the practical route. In early spring, lift the clump from its pot and cut the rhizome with a sharp knife so that each piece has a fan of leaves with roots attached. Clemson then has you pot each division, water it and keep it warm in bright, indirect light for eight weeks while it regrows roots, before moving it into bright sun. Flowers should follow in two to three years.

Seed is a long game. It must be fresh, under six months old, and its hard coat has to be scraped with a file before sowing. Press the seeds into moist seed-starting mix, cover with plastic, and give bottom heat of 75 to 90°F; Clemson says seedlings emerge in six to 12 weeks, vary in character, and may need four to ten years or more to bloom.

Methods: Division of the rhizome, Fresh, scarified seed · Best season: early spring, before new growth.

Common problems

The most common complaint is a handsome plant that never flowers, and the fix is almost always more sun or less fertilizer. Real damage comes from water: Clemson lists too much or too little water, plus insects and mites, as the main troubles, with root rot from slow-draining mix the usual killer. NC State names mealybugs, scale and spider mites as the pests to watch, and leaf spot as the cause of yellow or brown spotting. Torn blades are cosmetic: NC State describes the banana-like leaves of the related white bird ripping along their veins in wind, and a torn leaf goes on feeding the plant.

Not sure which one it is? Try the plant problem diagnosis tool →

Is the bird of paradise toxic to cats and dogs?

The ASPCA lists the bird of paradise flower, Strelitzia reginae, as toxic to cats, dogs and horses. Its toxic principles are gastrointestinal irritants, and the clinical signs are mild nausea, vomiting and drowsiness, caused mainly by the fruit and seeds. NC State gives the same signs for people and rates the severity as low. Beware a name mix-up: the ASPCA entry titled simply "Bird of Paradise" is Caesalpinia gilliesii, an unrelated shrub. If a pet chews the plant, especially seed pods, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center.

Check any other plant against the ASPCA lists →