If your plant is simply growing too large, remove the outer edges of the plant by cutting the stem and leaf to the base. Yellow Bird of Paradise bush with Red Stamens bean pods. Red bird of paradise plants are often cut back in the winter since they don't tolerate frost, but … In the Spring, prune to remove dead or damaged stems. You can prune your Bird of Paradise easily when they’ve finished blooming! Trim branches evenly across the entire plant. If you have even 2 or 3 dead blooms, removing them can help the remaining flowers live longer. Pruning Bird of Paradise. My neighbors cut their 2 very … The red bird of paradise is a fairly fast grower, and can get large—up to 20 feet tall—so periodic trimming is an option depending on what size you'd like your shrub. She earned a BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from Western Michigan University in 2014. my house is a brick home and the veranda pillar where the … Help answer a question about Pruning of Bird of Paradise - Gardening Know How Questions & Answers. Strelizia – This type of bird of paradise requires little pruning. The flowers will last 2 to 3 weeks before dropping petals and dying. While it resembles a miniature tree growing as high as 15 feet and with a similar width, this is a delightful shrub with yellow flowers that bloom in the spring and summer. Begin pruning Yellow and Mexican varieties in late winter and early spring. To my mind, trimming is different than pruning, and thinning is another thing altogether. Birds of paradise don't bounce back quickly after a freeze. By using our site, you agree to our. if you are zone 9a, this plant has survived because of several years of mild winters. Prune them back to ground level to make the removal process easier. Always wear thick gardening gloves when pruning. Hi Shandra – It’s best to keep up on the pruning of a Bird Of Paradise. Keep bird of paradise (Strelitizia reginae) and white bird of paradise (Strelitzia nicolai) looking trim and tidy with regular pruning.Regularly tidying up the dead flowers and leaf debris also helps keep fungal diseases from getting established. A Bird of Paradise that is trimmed in this way will normally grow back within 1-2 blooming seasons if treated with water and fertilizer. pruning bird of paradise houseplant. There are five species of bird of paradise, in Strelizia genus, and not all of them are suitable for growing indoors.. There are shrubs and then there’s the Mexican Bird of Paradise shrub. Any pruning should be done in spring, cutting away faded blooms and flower stalks. You're reviewing: Red Mexican Bird of Paradise Your Rating. 1 Plan ahead when you want to prune the roots of a bird of paradise plant in preparation for moving or dividing the plant. how do I prune Bird of Paradise plant. pruning bird of paradise houseplant. The yellow bird of paradise shrub is toxic. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Unpruned specimens can grow to 10 ft or so. Bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae) is one of those plants that you don’t forget. bird of paradise; pruning; asked Oct 26, 2013 by anonymous. 1 star 2 stars 3 stars 4 stars 5 stars. References. The Bird of Paradise flower is brightly colored and can grow extremely large as long as you prune it after it has finished blooming. 0 2. Prune a bird of paradise plant by cutting back dead foliage, deadheading flowers, removing suckers, trimming unruly growth and selectively pruning its stalks. Pruning at this point will encourage new growth in the plant later in the season. Never remove more than one third of plant material per season and follow up with good cultural care. How To Prune Bird Of Paradise Plant | Bird of Paradise Care. Take all leaves and stems back to just above the ground. Remove dead flowers to the base of the plant and clean up any old vegetation that has dropped in or around the plant. Do not use hedge trimmers on your Bird of Paradise because this can cause irreversible damage to the plant. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. When using the saw, work slowly. it is best to let spring get here, wait for new growth to emerge, give it some fertilizer and then prune any dead leaves. Two of the petals are fused to form a spear-like structure that holds the anthers. According to the University of Arizona, pruning can also be employed to create a more classical tree form out of the natural shrublike habit. In the early Spring, prune to remove dead or damaged stems. This is done for the same reasons as trimming, but the goals are more intensive and combined. Use loppers, hand pruners or a pruning saw, but never hedge trimmers which will make rough cuts and leave ragged, damaged edges. how do you prune bird of paradise? The slow-growing Strelitzia juncea grows up to 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and has leaves that disappear over time, giving the plant appearance of a waterside reed or rush. There are also giant white birds of paradise … This is the first opportunity for pruning birds of paradise, but not the last. Always be careful on the ladder! Cut back all the bird of paradise's leaves, flower stalks and stems using sharp, sturdy pruning shears. After a Bird of Paradise blooms what do cut off? Remove new growth at the base of the plant. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. The Red Bird of Paradise has astounding powers of recovery. Trimming is when you remove just a bit of the plant where it is damaged, dead, or diseased. If the plant isn’t growing well throughout the year, prune at least half of the stems to the ground to allow the plant to grow healthy. They are very drought tolerant and love the heat. 15 years ago. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Need to know how to prune a bird of paradise? Share. In general, the pruning of bird of paradise shrubberies is necessary only to remove frost-damaged limbs or to remove dead, crossing or damaged branches. How far down the stalk do you cut? pruning; bird of paradise; asked Feb 25, 2014 by Joan. Sign up for our newsletter. Once they get older & grow to be a very large plant, they get out of control & it’s hard to keep them looking good due to their girth. Caesalpinia gilliesii, or sometimes called Yellow Bird of Paradise or Desert Bird of Paradise is a shrub that has been naturalized in Texas; planted as to give an effect of wild growth and may some year be considered native in the rest of the southwestern US. % of people told us that this article helped them. Red Bird of Paradise flowers are very hardy and can handle heavy pruning two times per year if the plant is healthy. This leaves no dead stems to mar the beauty of the plant. It allows air and light into the center of older plants, increasing flowering and reducing fungal disease. Write Your Own Review. "I needed to understand the process of dead-heading my Bird of Paradise. The White Bird of Paradise, Strelitzia alba, is a tree-like plant that can reach up to 33 feet (10 m) tall and is not suitable for a small garden. Try to maintain the shape of the flower in a circle to ensure easy access to all sides of the flower. This involves harder pruning and should be attacked in early spring. Your name to display (optional): Your answer. Hi, I have a bird of paradise plant in my garden which Is very large and has been there for quite some time. Larger species like S. nicolai or S. alba grow up to 30 feet tall, which makes them difficult to grow in your home unless you live in a mansion with an enormous, well-lit foyer.. Also, help answer other questions about Flowers & Foliage and Bird of Paradise Plants, and plants at GardeningKnowHow.com Review. Plan on conducting this annual pruning of Mexican bird of paradise in early spring just before or as newly growth emerges from twig tips. They look similar except for the color of the flowers. Bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae) craves heat, growing best in temperatures over 50 F. Winter hardy in Zones 10 to 12, bird of paradise adapts readily to containers. You can trim a bird of paradise at any point since you are only removing a small amount of plant matter, so damage potential is minimal. These bushes do fine in any well-drained soil including rocky, native soils. These flowers can grow to be extremely large, and they require regular maintenance to stay healthy. Pruning is only required to remove damage and control spread, if desired. In the photo below see the yellow bird of paradise, Caesalpinia gilliesii. This “heading back” will encourage another round of flowering that may last into October. Pruning is one of the most important maintenance tasks for the landscape, but every plant has a different time and method. There are three upright, bright orange or white sepals and three dark blue, purple or white petals that emerge from a hard, beak-like structure that is called the spathe. A: The Mexican bird of paradise plant name is used by homeowners to describe two different but similar plants. There are also desert-thriving bird of paradise plants found in another genus – red bird of paradise (Caesaepinia pulcherrima), yellow bird of paradise (C. gilliesii), and the Mexican bird of paradise (C. mexicana). Bird of paradise freeze damage can be as mild as winter burnt leaves to stem and trunk freezes. Yellow Bird of Paradise can grow to the height of 10 ft. Yellow Bird of Paradise. The third petal contains large quantities of nectar at its base. Bird of paradise pruning is a more serious affair. How To Prune Bird Of Paradise Plant | Bird of Paradise Care. In this video, I will show you how to prune this plant … Thinning is another way of cleaning up a bird of paradise. Pruning . Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) produce long-lasting and quite striking flowers intermittently throughout the year, but bloom best during the cool season. These plants can easily grow to be up to 5 feet (1.5 m) in diameter, so refrain from planting other flowers in the surrounding area. Retain any leaves with more than 50% live tissue. Bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae) is one of those plants that you don’t forget. pruning bird of paradise houseplant. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. You might need a friend or neighbor to hold it steady while you’re trimming to avoid getting hurt with the shears. The goals of bird of paradise pruning are to remove old plant matter, thin the leaves, and take out damaged stems. It’s not just their sheer size and impressive foliage but the plant’s namesake blooms. Read more articles about Bird Of Paradise. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. The flowers are brown and dry. You need pruning shears, a shovel and gloves to properly trim the plant. Do you let the flower die or do you cut it off? These plants also have large green leaves that can die and brown once blooming is over, so cut or pull any excess brown foliage. It thrives in the semi-tropical and tropical climates of USDA zones 10b and 11. You can grow it outdoors in the warmer months & move it indoors when the temps drop. pruning bird of paradise houseplant. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. 1. Post author: Post published: December 2, 2020; Post category: Uncategorized; In general, the pruning of bird of paradise shrubberies is necessary only to remove frost-damaged limbs or to remove dead, crossing or damaged branches. answer. She earned a BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from Western Michigan University in 2014. Rating. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 54,742 times. In the summer water your Yellow Bird of Paradise every week. In general, the pruning of bird of paradise shrubberies is necessary only to remove frost-damaged limbs or to remove dead, crossing or damaged branches. Lauren has worked for Aurora, Colorado managing the Water-Wise Garden at Aurora Municipal Center for the Water Conservation Department. More pruning will … This article has been viewed 54,742 times. These instructions were very clear.". {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/5\/5f\/Prune-a-Bird-of-Paradise-Plant-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Prune-a-Bird-of-Paradise-Plant-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/5\/5f\/Prune-a-Bird-of-Paradise-Plant-Step-1.jpg\/aid9830044-v4-728px-Prune-a-Bird-of-Paradise-Plant-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"