Light: Bright light is ideal for bird-of-paradise and encourages flowering. Lower light levels encourage leaf growth, but the plant will not flower. Many keep their plant outdoors in summer, moving it inside during winter months to protect it from the cold.

Temperature: 60-90 F

Humidity: any level

Keep in mind that spider mites enjoy this plant. To keep them at bay, higher humidity helps.

Water: Water when the top 4” of potting mix has dried. The plant is well-adapted to arid climates, and does not like being kept consistently moist.

Repotting: Repot every 2-3 years into a slightly larger container (1-2” increased diameter or depth). Use a well-drained potting mix (ideally bark-based). If in a pinch, general purpose potting mix is fine.

Fertilizing: Either…

1. Water Application: Incorporate fertilizer into your watering cycle once per month March through September. Dilute an all purpose fertilizer (20-20-20) by half OR use your favorite fertilizer rated for houseplant use in your water.

2. Slow Release: Incorporate slow release fertilizer pellets into the top inch of potting soil every 6 months. Apply the rate indicated for indoor plants on the label. If no recommendation for houseplants is present, apply 1/4 to 1/2 the listed rate.

Bird of Paradise has a family named after it—Strelitziaceae—because it’s flower is quite unique. It looks like a “bird of paradise.”

As such, there are only 3 genera and 7 total species in the bird of paradise family. They are quite closely related to bananas though.

(Listed in order of commonality…)

• Two-spotted spider mites

• Mealybugs

• Leaf tattering and splitting

• Leaf tip burn from drought stress

Is bird of paradise safe for pets?

Not really… plant tissues contain small levels of hydrocyanic acid, which is just scientific talk for cyanide that occurs in water. Everyone knows that cyanide is a common poison to avoid… so your pets should too.