As one of the most easily recognized tropical plants , Bird of Paradise ( Strelitzia ssp ) gets its coarse name from its unusual flowers , which resemble the honker and head plume of a bird in flight . Native to South Africa , where it also is call the Stephen Crane blossom , Bird of Paradise case plants are popular in hothouse planting , as specimen plants in heavy containers in public construction and decorative landscaping , and in dwarf variety show as a houseplant .
Bird of paradise flower get along in sets of three to five upright orange tree or yellow sepal emerge from a six - inch , gravy holder - shaped bract , along with two to three dark blue horizontal petals . The latter is the female share of the industrial plant , which is place well away from the stamen . Flowering occurs in late winter or early spring . When birds sit on the works to drink its ambrosia , the flower petals assailable , releasing pollen .
Bird of Paradise blooms sit atop of a prospicient stalk tramp in height from two to five fundament , with one to three flower sets on each stalking . Resembling belittled banana foliage with long leafstalk , the evergreen leaf on Bird of Paradise embed fans out to organize a thick , waxy and glossy green crown . Individual leaves emerge from the grease , and are oblong and range in duration from 12 to 18 column inch . The dewy-eyed blades are pinnated with a breadth of four to six inches . The heavy , digitate roots are about 1 inch in diameter . New shoot come from the stand of the plant to produce more sets of leaves . Because of its striking appearance and tenacious vase lifetime , razz of paradise make a good cut efflorescence .
The seeds develop in a woody fuel pod that has three sections with black to brown seeded player in them . The seeds each have a brilliant Orange River , fuzzy surface area made up of plant life whisker . In the wild , bird eat the seeds and disperse them . But if you ’re growing them yourself , you need to weaken the seed coats so they hard - coated cum will germinate .
Bird of Paradise Varieties
Giant Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia nicolai)
Strelitzia nicolai , commonly known as the godforsaken banana tree or giant lily-white doll of paradise is a bigger version of bird of paradise , produce up to 30 feet tall , spread around 10 foot make it desirable for conservatories . It generally grows at a moderate charge per unit of upper . Giant shuttle of paradise leafage is immature and paddle - determine and forms into a sports fan as it arises from the single trunk , growing over 3 feet long .
Narrow-leaved bird of paradise (Strelitzia juncea)
Strelitzia juncea , the rush - leave strelitzia or narrow - leaved skirt of paradise is dramatically unlike from other multifariousness of doll of paradise because it lento organise ever turgid glob of rhizomes from which come forth 4 to 5 metrical unit tenacious blue - dark-green narrow shuck which are actually leafless petiole and because of these , stalks miss the expanded leafage at the closing of the leafstalk . From recent descent through late give come out orangish and dingy flowers that rear from reed - like , grayish folio stalking that can arrive at up to 6 foot . marvellous .
From the beak - like green sheath - like bracts ( technically a spathe ) , which can be 6 to 8 inches foresighted and tinged on the upper surface with a pale pinkish color , come out the flowers one at a time to expose 3 bright orangish colored sepal and 3 blue petal , two of which are mix into a long pointer like structure and the third cupped downward as a nectary .
Common Bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae)
Strelitzia reginae , commonly known as the crane flower , bird of paradise , or isigude in Nguni is a dramatic plant life that generally originate to 30 feet magniloquent and do not bloom until the plants are quite mature . But the large , 18 - 24 inch wide and 3 - 4 foot long , banana tree - like leaves are attractive enough on their own to make this an excellent interior foliage specimen for a very tropic look . The leave-taking can get split in the leaf when unwrap to windy conditions or brushed against in a busy hallway .
The flowers , which egress one at a time from the spathe , consist of three orange sepals and three purplish - blue or blanched petals . It can be used to create a lush , tropical result and offset heavy landscaping , building and pools . It resist salty coastal wind , making it a good feature plant or screen for coastal garden .
Mountain strelitzia or Transvaal Wild banana (Strelitzia caudata)
Strelitzia caudata produces several stem that carry big , showy grey - green leathery - look parting measuring up to 1.5 m in distance . Its flower are coloured blue and white , from beak - like spathe structures . Also have sex as Transvaal Wild Banana or Mountain Wild Banana , this salient flora is a popular choice for making a statement in the landscape . In frost - free areas , it can be grown outdoors , provide it has aegis from impregnable winds . It can be planted in large pots and will grow happily for a few year until it becomes too swelled for the deal .
White-flowered wild banana, or Cape wild banana (Strelitzia alba)
Strelitzia alba also known as white - flowered wild banana , or Cape crazy banana is the rarest of the three large banana tree - like Strelitzia species , because its bloom are completely white and miss the profane color recover in other species . anthesis may take place at any time of the class , but is normally between July and December . It grow in evergreen wood , gorge , and on slopes along the rivers .
It forms with its pronged rhizomes dense , horstartige stocks . The unbranching , more or less woody trunk has marks through the leaf scar . The spirally distributed on the trunk , on sure-enough plants only in the upper part of a kind crown forming leaf are clearly articulated in long petiole and folio blade . Their childlike , smooth - edged , stretch , about leathery , shiny gullible to greyish leaf blades have a duration of up to 2 beat and a width of 40 to 60 cm . The folio blades rip in the wind over meter . The clean luggage compartment bears the scars of previous leaf - bases .
How To Grow Bird of Paradise
Light Requirements
outside , bird of paradise get well in either full sun , with six to eight hour of lineal sunlight , or in fond shade . point your indoor plant wherever it will get the most light , except in very spicy summer temperatures , where it will do advantageously in shining , collateral light .
Soil Requirements
If your razzing of paradise was not originally planted in full-bodied , well - drained soil , see repotting it help insure that the plant life stay in the very best health . If your bird of paradise is planted in the ground , add constitutional compost for poor soil and either perlite or sand to help with drain . For potted plants , make trusted that the drain hole in the container is large enough to allow water to flux out .
Watering
Bird of paradise thrive with even , weekly watering , but you should let the soil dry out a mo before watering again . H2O a container flora until you see water running out of the smoke , whether indoors or out . burn back on watering in the wintertime for indoor and outdoor plant , but increase the humidity indoors by mist the works daily with water from a spray feeding bottle .
Fertilizer Application
Pests and Disease Control
Bird of paradise is only prone to settle down hogwash if you overwater or if its territory is not draining well . If the leave start to droop for no patent reason , either cut back on watering or repot the flora with rich but well - run out grease . potential pestis to watch out for include aphids , mealybug , scale or whiteflies . Either hosiery off the bug with a firm spray of water , handpick the bugs off the plant or pass over the bugs off with a cotton fiber swab dip in alcoholic beverage .
How To Trim, Prune And Divide Bird of Paradise
After about three workweek of elegant plumage , the razzing of paradise start to fall behind its glamor and starts to wilt . This is the time to trim your bird , eliminating the energy it ’s taking away from the relief of the industrial plant . It can be done at any time during the yr .
To trim , take out your pruning shears , draw certain they ’re piercing and clean . A small inebriant chafe over the blades ensures cleanliness , and proper tools make light cuts .
Snip the base of the stem turn where it connects to the main physical structure of the flora . horticulture gloves keep your hands safe from any precipitous leaves or prong . If there are leaves with at least 50 per centum of life get out in them , permit them remain . If a still hunt is bent or upset , remove it as well .
The razz of paradise pruning should be done in other outpouring . Known as a “ hard prune , ” this recondite haircut go all the way to the ground for stems and leaves and to the base of the stem where it connects to the plant for the flowers . It may look bare for a few weeks , but presently the industrial plant will revitalize itself and start to perk up . Remove the bird of paradise broken stalk during pruning . A hard prune should be done every few years as a chemical reaction to the bird of paradise ’s ontogeny rate .
Birds of paradise are somewhat large plants , with even the smallest species rise as large as 6 foot tall and 6 feet broad . Without enough space to grow to maturity date , plants become overcrowded and may give lackluster bloom . When planting , be certain to provide enough room for the mature plant size and not just for the size of the young plant . If a plant outgrows its place , you could cut a wide set in the soil , severing the root , and transplantation to a more wide area of the garden .
As plant grow , they slowly multiply and might require division to give the works more way . You but dig up the plant and split up the root ball into several sections . come back one section to the original planting space and plant the other sections to a raw area of the garden . Give the divisions as gifts or summate them to your compost stilt if you do n’t have room for more plant in your garden .
