The standard bird ofparadise(Strelitzia reginae ) grows 6 foot magniloquent with orange , aristocratical and white heron ’s head - shaped flowers , while the jumbo variety ( Strelitzia nicolai ) can reach a height of 30 feet with blue and white bloom . Hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture flora hardiness zone 9 to 11 and often used as a houseplant elsewhere , bird of paradise leaves and seed are turn over gently toxicand should not be consumed . The plant life may raise difficult to bring into flower if it is immature , improperly planted , Lord’s Day - deprived , over - indulged or indoors year - round .
It’s Growing Up
A bird of paradise plant life lead off from seed commonly wo n’t flower until it is at least 3 to 5 years old . Even one propagated by division may take the same amount of clock time to establish itself in a newfangled circumstance . The plant usually needs to form a expectant clump , either in the ground or a pot , before it begins to flower , andwill blossom best when somewhat pot - bound or crowded . For that reason , refrain from raise up your plant once it is in shoes , or it may need to start up the establishment period all over again .
It’s in Too Deep
When setting a bird of paradise in the ground or a pot , ensure that youdon’t bury its tuberous roots too deeply , as that also may delay flowering . Instead , position the plant life so that the crown of its etymon musket ball lie even with the surface of the soil .
It’s in the Dark
The bird of paradiseflowers most prolifically in full sun , though those blooms in the main will be smaller than the few single produced in partial shade . The plant life may not flower at all in full shadiness . For the sound results , localize it in an sphere protected by a building or paries on the north but open to the S .
It’s Fed Up
Both over - feeding and over - watering will encourage new foliation on a fowl of paradise rather than flowers . To prevent that trouble , do n’t water an base in - basis plant except under drouth conditions . Water a potted one only when its soil has dried out to a duo column inch beneath the surface .
For the first two year after the bird of paradise is plant , feed it with a palm and tropic plants fertiliser to stir growth . Once it reaches 3 years of age , however , lessen the amount of nitrogenyou give it by applying a high - phosphorus bloom - booster fertilizer less oft instead .
For example , begin with a coarse-grained organic medal fertilizer such as 6 - 4 - 6 — nitrogen being the first number — applying 1 cup per in - basis plant once every two month from March through September . In the third class , tack to a coarse-grained constitutive bloom - booster variety such as 4 - 10 - 7 — phosphorous being the second number — using 2 cups for each plant once every three months during the growing season . Water well before and after fertilize .
It’s in a Rut
The chick of paradise prefers a15 - point difference between its daytime and nighttime temperatures . If growing in the ground outdoors , it probably will experience that difference of opinion automatically . However , an indoor plant often stay on at the same temperature almost year - round . To coax it into flush , you may want to move it outdoors during the summer calendar month .
