When I first moved to southern California from Montana to attend university , I was astonied by the divers array of stunning plants : the pinkish nebulizer of bougainvillea , the violet flush of jacaranda trees , the orange - tufted , sharply - beaked birds of nirvana .
It ’s preternatural how much this flower resembles a tropical dame , is n’t it ? Also known as Stephen Crane flower , bird of paradise ( Strelitziaspp . ) belongs to the Strelitziaceae family , of which Madagascar ’s theatrical traveler ’s ribbon ( Ravenala madagascariensis ) is also a part .
This family loves drama , and it ’s fantastic if you ’re looking for stunning ornamentals to add to the garden .
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Bird of paradise is an evergreen tropic plant native to South Africa , but it ’s grown in warm locus around the world . There are five metal money in this genus , and all may be name to by the same common name .
All members thrive inUSDA Hardiness Zones10 - 12 , and sometimes Zone 9 – with ample tribute .
If you ’re favourable enough to be growing one of these beauties in your yard or garden , you might be inquire how to best worry for it during the winter .
We ’ve father you deal . Here ’s what I will track in this scout :
What You’ll Learn
These plants can suffer if temperature dunk below freezing in the wintertime . record on to find out how to winter your bird of paradise if you endure in Zone 9 , or are daring to rise the gorgeous birdlike flower in Zone 8 .
And if you ’re look for canonic tip to get started , you canbegin with our growing guide .
What Happens to Bird of Paradise Plants in Cold Weather?
The very lowest temperature thatStrelitziaplants can manage is 24 ° F for just a short amount of time , grant to Sydney Park Brown and Robert J. Blackof the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences ( IFAS ) Extension .
But that does n’t mean they wo n’t pay a monetary value for withstand such a chilly dip in temperature . Any temperature below 32 ° farad can hurt flowers and developing bud .
Here ’s what you could do to help keep your works strong in the winter .
Plant It in a Container
If you last in Zones 8 or 9 , consider planting your bird of paradise in a container the moment you convey it home from the baby’s room . If your plant is growing in a pot , it ’s easygoing tomove it indoorswhen you see a freeze warning in the prognosis for your surface area .
This generally works only for the smallerS. reginae . You ’d have to have a mighty big container to house the treelikeS. albaorS. nicolai .
S. reginaecan arise up to six foot marvellous and three substructure wide , so keep this in mind when you purchase a container . If your industrial plant is still immature and relatively small , you could repot it each spring as it grow .
Aim for a pot that ’s at least 12 inches wide and deep for a small plant life , and one that ’s at least 34 inches deep and wide for a bigger one . Ensure that it has good drain , with a hole or several in the bottom of the great deal .
sate the container with two partspotting soiland one part perlite . Gently pack together the baby’s room stool to tease apart the edges of the flora . Grasp the stalk and carefully remove the plant , and place it immediately into the wait pot .
Brush some of the soil away from the root clod to loosen the roots . Tease apart the tuber - like roots so they winnow out over the soil . Then , deal everything up and give it a mystifying tearing that drains out the bottom of the pot .
Keep it next to your sunniest windowsill , and move it outside again as before long as the temperatures allow – the plant is more likely to produce an attractive profusion of flowers if it is farm alfresco .
record more about grow birds of paradise as houseplant here .
Transplanting to a Container
Did you already put your wench of paradise in the earth , only to realize that it ’s likely to stand during the wintertime ?
you may still transplant it to a container . Just satisfy a large stool – one that ’s at least 12 inch wide and deep , or large , bet on the size of the plant – with two parts potting soil and one part perlite .
First , douse the root system with a go hosepipe for about 10 - 15 minutes . Wait about 20 minutes after you finish watering it for the pee to soften the roots . Then , mark a 10 - column inch radius around the flora .
Using a trenching shovelful , dig down about 18 column inch , following that radial line . You ’ll probably need a Quaker to help you lift the profound plant life ( and its beginning ball ! ) .
Do n’t worry too much about breaking pieces of root here and there – these plants are tough . A little too knotty , perhaps …
Place the plant in the pot and rooter out the root . Backfill with soil and piddle exhaustively , until liquid drains out the bottom .
Now , you could bring your plant inside to shelter it during cold spell !
Find more tip on transplanting birds of Eden plant here .
What If I Want My Plant to Stay in the Ground?
Maybe you experience in Zone 10 or 11 and you ’re not that worried about the wintertime . But you do want to know how you’re able to keep your bird of paradise strong if , say , there ’s a cold snap that ’s too tight to 32 ° degree Fahrenheit for ease .
Or maybe you live in Zone 8 or 9 and have planted a giantS. nicolaiorS. albathat you ca n’t just green goddess up and get indoors .
How can you keep it quick ?
You write out it down .
But not like that . As you would if you were overwintering theclosely related banana flora , you need to cut the stem and leaves down to just 12 column inch above the ground .
Next , cover the entire stem and rhizome area with mulch . Start with squeamish , chunky bark mulch spread over the rhizome area , and thenadd leavesand straw to cease off the thick layer of warmth your preciousStrelitziawill call for so as to survive the winter .
extend the peck of mulch with breathable rowing cover material and stake it down . Voila ! Your plant will stay strong through the winter , and as before long as warmer temperatures arrive , you may free it of its little nest and get it regrow those adorable stems and leaf .
An Important Note About Water
Make certain you bear on water your flora through the wintertime , unless you feel an actual freeze .
You do n’t need to keep the soil moist like you do in the spring and summer . Instead , provide the soil to dry out in between lacrimation sessions during the winter .
When you see that the airfoil soil is teetotal , await a day or two , and then urine again .
A Fountain of Youth
With right wintertime care , your bird of paradise beauties will thrive for long time .
I bet the blooming that graced the sidewalk borderline at my alma mater when they first wow me ten years ago are still thriving to this mean solar day , because the gardeners there are dead excellent .
In the meantime , check out theseguides on maturate and manage for hoot of paradise plantsnext :
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About
Laura Ojeda Melchor
