Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Bird of paradise bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called crane flower, Strelitzia (Strelitzia reginae).

About Bird of paradise

Strelitzia reginae · also called crane flower, Strelitzia · flowering

Bird of paradise is a striking South African banana relative grown for its paddle leaves and crane-shaped orange flowers. Indoors it grows to roughly 1.5-2 m and needs the brightest spot in the house. Mildly toxic to pets.

Strelitzia reginae is endemic to the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal of South Africa, where it grows in coastal bush, riverbanks and clearings. Its rigid beak-like spathe sits perpendicular to the stem to form a durable perch for the sunbirds that pollinate it.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — No flowers: Plant must be 4-5 years old in a bright spot to flower indoors.

Sources: aspca.org, hort.extension.wisc.edu, en.wikipedia.org, powo.science.kew.org

The reasons bird of paradise isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming bird of paradise traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding bird of paradise a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get bird of paradise to flower

Maximise sun. Give bird of paradise the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for bird of paradise and get the feeding right with the bird of paradise fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Bird of paradise flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full bird of paradise care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Bird of paradise blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my bird of paradise flower?

Bird of paradise blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make bird of paradise bloom?

Give bird of paradise the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does bird of paradise normally bloom?