Bird Of Paradise Plant Grow Guide: Tips To Grow A Big Bird

With its huge glossy leaves and flower that resembles an origami crane, there are few indoor plants as striking or commanding as a Bird Of Paradise. If you want to truly add an amazing plant presence to your space, the Bird Of Paradise (Strelitzia nicolai) plant is an incredible choice. It is stately, tropical, fancy, and also just fun to look at! With a little help from us, we think you'll get amazing results from your Bird of Paradise.

An indoor Bird Of Paradise plant. Photo byLuca Deasti onUnsplash

Bird of Paradise Plant Grow Guide Will Cover

• How to help your Bird Of Paradise thrive: Lighting, potting, feeding, and watering your Bird Of Paradise
• How to style your space with a Bird Of Paradise: Using a Bird Of Paradise Plant in your living space!

However, before we get started, if you don't already have a Bird Of Paradise, a great place to find one is at Bloomscape, who offer a reasonably priced plant and a few really tasteful pot options to make your Strelitzia nicolai look classy right out of the gate! Alternately, most local home and garden stores will be able to offer you one as well if you'd like to get started immediately. A quick internet search should point you towards a store in your area, and away you go!

How To Help Your Bird Of Paradise Thrive

The Bird Of Paradise is a hardy plant that grows naturally in regions of Portugal and South Africa. If you want to really help Strelitzia nicolai shine in your own home, here are some tips and tricks!

Light

Your Bird Of Paradise is well-adapted to many levels of lighting, from indirect to being placed right in a sunny spot to soak up rays. If the plant isn't getting enough light, its leaves may begin to curl up and take on a dry, greyish hue. Now you can obviously deal with this by getting the plant into some more direct sunlight, but you might also consider getting a growlight! There are many grow lights for indoor plants - The Aspect pendant light is a great choice for directly above your plant, and looks terrific in any space! Or if you have an existing fixture or lamp stand, try the Vita, to match seamlessly with your existing décor and lighting setup. Both provide gorgeous, warm LED light that will make your Bird Of Paradise feel right at home.

Soil and Potting

A Bird Of Paradise plant does best in well-drained organic soil and will also benefit from some compost. Its roots are large and fill up space quickly, so a large pot is best so the Bird Of Paradise has as much space as it needs! Pots should be bottom-ventilated, too. This will allow your proper drainage as needed.

The Bird Of Paradise's stunning flower. Photo byThimo van Leeuwen onUnsplash

Watering

Watering your Bird Of Paradise requires some care. It is a plant that benefits from regular waterings, but overwatering can be detrimental to its health. Soil should never be wet, only moist. Additionally, waterings should slow during winter months, during which the top soil should be allowed to dry out a couple of inches. In addition to soil watering, the Bird Of Paradise benefits from regular mistings from a spray bottle. This will help keep leaves healthy and free of dust! As a side-note, the Bird Of Paradise's leaves occasionally develop breaks and splits from the edge of the leaf to its inner stem. This is not unhealthy, but a natural attempt to be more aerodynamic in wind!

How To Style Your Space With A Bird Of Paradise

Strelitzia nicolaiis a large plant, but that doesn't mean it has to be obtrusive in your interior design scheme. As with any larger indoor plant you can still find great ways to fit it into your plan without sacrificing a ton of floor-space. Plus, it can add an outdoorsy vibe to even the most secluded room. Needless to say a great location for a Bird Of Paradise is near a window, where their huge green leaves can both soak up and disperse incoming sunlight. The greenery can add some real color to a room, too, and help it feel like a more natural space. A second Bird Of Paradise placed on the opposite side of a room can provide some great symmetry. And when doubled up by a doorway, they create a stately and lush gateway into your indoor tropical haven! If you have a higher ceiling or a mezzanine second floor, this can be an incredible opportunity to let your Bird Of Paradise get as tall as it wants to be!

Make friends with your Bird Of Paradise! Photo bySeverin Candrian onUnsplash

A Final Note

While the Bird Of Paradise does not generally flower indoors, its giant leaves are a spectacular decoration that can transform your space for the better. It adds character and beauty to whatever room you place it in, and doesn't require a huge time investment! See what a Bird Of Paradise plant can do in your space!