Looking for a bold indoor plant that is certain to impress your friends? Look no further than the Bird of Paradise. Exotic and flowering, the Bird of Paradise can reach heights of six feet tall indoors. But since these results don’t come overnight, many Bird of Paradise lovers wonder how to encourage their plant to grow more quickly.
Wondering how to encourage your Bird of Paradise to grow? It’s all about proper and consistent care. Providing the ideal growing conditions, including water, light, and fertilization, can make all the difference in healthy growth from your indoor Bird of Paradise.
Ready to learn how to grow a tall, flourishing Bird of Paradise? The secret is to provide your plant with the best care possible. Sometimes that means doing something, and sometimes that means avoiding something! Keep reading for five easy-to-follow tips to get your plant growing!
What To Expect From Your Indoor Bird of Paradise
In a world filled with snake plants and succulents, Bird of Paradise is a bit out-of-the-ordinary. In fact, this might be the first time you’ve owned one of these colorful cousins to the banana tree. If so, here is a primer to help you feel comfortable with this lovely “rare bird.”
Native to South Africa, Bird of Paradise is a tropical evergreen that may be found adorning outdoor gardens in warm, humid locations, such as Southern California and Florida. If the concept of a “tropical evergreen” seems confusing to you, you’re not alone.
Many people, especially those from colder Midwest and Northern states, think primarily of pine trees when they hear the term evergreen. However, palm trees, ferns, and other diverse flora qualify as evergreens. This distinction simply means that the leaves of these plants remain green and attached, often for multiple years.
When grown outdoors, some species of this plant can grow up to 30 feet tall. However, outside of hot, humid climates, it is safest to grow this plant as part of an indoor garden. Birds of Paradise can still achieve significant growth as a potted plant, reaching 6 feet tall with consistent care.
With leaves that can reach 18 inches long and the possibility for dozens of colorful blooms over a growing season, Bird of Paradise can add drama to almost any room. But while the plants are capable of rapid growth, it is important to keep in mind that it can take up to four years for this plant to begin to bloom.
To encourage flowering and support the expansion of its lustrous evergreen leaves, treat your Bird of Paradise with a little TLC, keeping in mind some simple tips.
How to Encourage Your Bird of Paradise to Grow Bigger Faster
Because Bird of Paradise can take years to produce its first blooms and does not turn over its leaves as quickly as some other indoor plants, gardeners may become frustrated by an apparent lack of growth.
But while its growth pattern is different than that of other plants, that doesn’t mean it isn’t growing. Instead of falling into bad habits to promote growth, such as overwatering or overfertilizing, aim to support your plant by creating consistent conditions that mirror its native habitat. This strategy will help keep your plant healthy and ready to flourish during its growing season.
Growth Tip 1: Be Mindful of Dormancy
Nearly all plants go dormant in the winter, even in warmer climates. Indoor plants can still detect subtle changes in light and temperature that signal the transition to winter. Most Bird of Paradise plants will grow from late-spring to early-fall, followed by dormancy.
During this dormant period, plants will typically slow their growth, producing less height, fewer leaves, and few, if any, blooms. This slowing is entirely natural and is not a reflection of your plant care routine.
Dormancy is a bit like hibernation, during which the plant focuses on healing and conserving its energy for the spring. While the plant may not seem to be growing, dormancy is often a time for the plant to focus on its roots, which will sustain the growth to come.
Recognizing dormancy is important because it can help you avoid serious mistakes, like using too much fertilizer to force growth. In fact, during dormancy, your Bird of Paradise will need less water and fertilizer since it is not sustaining new leaves and blooms.
If you’re reading this during the colder months of the year, hold off on making any major changes to your plant’s environment, and wait for spring. But instead of letting dormancy get you down, focus on the beautiful growth that is coming your way!
Growth Tip 2: Adequate Light
Bird of Paradise is a tropical plant, so it is accustomed to plenty of heat and direct sun. Replicating this experience will help ensure your plant has the energy it needs to grow quickly and to produce its gorgeous, signature flowers.
Since this is one of the few houseplants that can tolerate direct sun, a large window or a bright sunroom can be an excellent location for your Bird of Paradise to thrive. They can even be moved outside onto your front porch or patio on summer days.
Five hours of sunlight a day is great for this plant, though it can undoubtedly tolerate more. But even with light, there can be too much of a good thing. Continual use of grow lights can work against your plant’s health since your Bird of Paradise needs the night to rest and regenerate. For this reason, any grow light should be turned off and on (or set with an outlet timer) to replicate a natural daytime/nighttime sunshine routine.
It’s also important to keep in mind that if your plant is not yet mature, its leaves may still be too delicate for prolonged, direct sun. In this case, consider shielding your plant from the hot midday sun by using a curtain or shade, or pulling it back further into the room. This will protect the plant’s early leaves as they continue to develop.
Growth Tip 3: Water Like a Pro
It is a common misunderstanding that tropical plants require large amounts of water. That mistake can not only reduce the growth of your Bird of Paradise, it can also kill your plant.
Bird of Paradise plants enjoy thorough watering but do not thrive in soggy soil. Leaving them in saturated soil will eventually lead to root rot, which is harmful to any plant.
To ensure proper watering, without saturation, always check the soil before adding more water. Insert your finger into the plant’s container and if you notice that the top 1-2 inches of soil are dry, it is time to water again. If you question your judgment, you can also use a moisture meter to help you determine if the soil is dry enough to require watering.
When you do water, provide enough liquid that some water runs from the bottom of the pot and avoid getting water on the stems or leaves. In the winter months, when growth has slowed, you will notice that the plant requires less water to thrive. Testing the soil with your finger, or using a meter, will help you provide water only when needed.
Growth Tip 4: Consider Fertilizer
Flowering plants consume a lot of energy. As a result, a bit of fertilizer can go a long way to promoting increased height and blooms.
When grown outside, rainwater, insects, and organic matter can create nutrient-rich compost in which plants can thrive. But when grown indoors, plants can quickly deplete the nutrient content of their containers.
Fertilizer contains a mix of minerals that restore the soil’s nutrient balance, providing your plant with the energy it needs to thrive. Uncertain where to start? No worries – try this one! Jack’s All Purpose Houseplant fertilizer is my go-to choice for most of my indoor plants.
There is no need to fertilize your plant more than once a month in the growing season. And it is usually wise to avoid fertilizing altogether during dormancy since your plant is not consuming large amounts of energy to sustain new growth.
Always dilute fertilizer to half strength before putting it onto your houseplants. Some nutrients and minerals in fertilizer can be harmful to your plant if provided in large quantities and it is always easier to add more than to have to flush the soil after the fact.
Growth Tip 5: Avoid Over-Pruning
Some indoor plants can produce hundreds of leaves, which are shed and replaced with new growth in a continual cycle. For these types of plants, pruning is common to shape the plant, remove dead leaves, and encourage growth. As a result, many plant owners associate a thorough pruning with rapid growth for all plants.
However, as an evergreen, pruning is not quite the same for Birds of Paradise. While pruning is still helpful for directing growth and removing unhealthy leaves and stems, Bird of Paradise plants don’t replicate leaves as quickly as some other species.
Does this mean you should put away the pruning scissors? Not at all! Light pruning can still encourage new growth by removing any unhealthy sections of your plant, such as dead blooms. However, a large-scale pruning may result in a sparse plant that takes longer to recover than you may wish.
Instead of getting carried away with the cutting, focus on removing dead blooms, yellow leaves, or any damaged stems. This will let your Bird of Paradise invest its energy in creating bigger blooms and healthier growth without causing unnecessary damage.
Final Thoughts
You’ve probably heard the expression, “Let nature take its course.” When it comes to house plant care, that is wise advice to follow. While I’ve shared some easy strategies to encourage your plant to grow, each plant is a bit different. And while it can be tempting to add too much fertilizer or apply grow lights 24-hours a day, the best approach is a balanced strategy.
A healthy plant will grow, so focusing on your plant’s health is the best place to start. By investing your effort in creating a warm, sunny, and stable environment, you will watch your Bird of Paradise thrive for years to come.