Giant White Bird of Paradise-Do they EVER bloom?

I bought My Bird of Paradise about 8 years ago in a one gallon nursery pot. Has done well in my zone 9b yard as far as the leaves are concerned, but will it ever bloom, & if so how old do they have to be to do so?

Camillia, I can't tell you how long it takes since I don't have one myself, but here in san diego, they are all blooming right now...

Camillia, mine are huge and blooms all the time. The flower kinda drips some stuff, makes look messy sometimes. I don't know how old it need to be to flower.

Here it says 5 to 7 years.
http://www.clemson.edu/charleston/local/bird/brdpards.htm

Did you plant it in the ground? Or is it still in a container? What fertilizer do you use?

Dean

I'm not sure about the white ones, but the orange ones I've heard also have to be a certain size, so maybe it's still too small, especially if you have it in a container instead of in the ground.

yep here's the proof that they do... even in South Carolina
this was the first one on it. it put out several buds that were duds (sorry) before

to give you an idea of the size....

the other half; the top

this is how big the clump was

another one just for fun

that one has been in the ground for at least 11 years. we started coming to Hilton Head (before we lived here) when i was 6, and i am almost 17 now and it just bloomed last april. that is probably 80 yards back from the ocean with northern exposure right next to the Crown Plaza Hotel. it also has live oaks around to give some wind protection, and some frost protection, but with its proximity to the beach, it doesnt really need the frost protecton that much... just to give you an idea of the growing conditions. if you just planted it it may be going thru some shock if it is blooming size. they don't like their roots to be messed with

It does make sense. The ones I see blooming are enourmous (at least 6ft tall).

Here is a pic of mine so you can see how big it is. Yes, it has been in the ground from day one. It may be in the wrong place considering the size they get, as you can see it is under the eave of the house (was hoping it would lean out), it gets filtered light, no direct sun, & gets Miracle Grow about once a month when I give it to the rest of my plants.
I'm wondering if I created a problem with it when I built this bed, it is surrounded by concrete on all four sides & I laid landscape plastic down before topping it with lava rock to keep down the weeds, but made sure there was enough room around the base of the plants for them to get water.

I wonder if it might be lack of light? Nobody around here grows the white ones in the ground because they won't make it through our winters, but lots of people plant the orange ones and most of the time I see them in full sun. Plant Files lists yours as sun to part shade, but where you have it sounds like it's closer to the full shade end of the spectrum.

Mine is in full sun, it gets huge in Florida. I have a clump in the part shade, it's about18' tall.

I don't know about the white ones but the orange/blue ones bloom well for me. They are heavy feeders and like lots of warmth and water. The main thing about them is that they have to have 5-7 leaves to bloom! Some people may say I'm off my rocker but I was told this many years ago and it has proved to be correct. And those nasty looking outside leaves need to stay on there to make the leaf count up to what it should be. Isn't there a company that can tell you when you can expect blooms? some nursery, grower, etc? Ask specifically about the number of leaves, the planting depth, soil, care as far as fertilizing, etc. is concerned, hours of sunlight in your specific area - anything at all because they know all about their plants and know so much they tend to skip over stuff. Lots of luck!

Ann

Definitely lack of sun. I have never seen one (at least a blooming one) that was not in full sun...I used to have the orange one, it was in full sun and bloomed all year long. Is it at all possible for you to re-plant it in full sun?

plantladyhou, I thought Houston was like zone 9 or 9a. I ask because I live in 8b and would be intrested in growing one, but I don't know how hardy they are. Does it freeze down to the ground and come back up or what?

the one that bloomed for
me was in shade most of the time if no all the I think it is the size that is the problem

I don't think the light is a problem, by 10 to 12 am it is in almost full sun, it's pretty protected from the cold of the winter, as it is next to the house & in a protected corner by the patio. I do cut the winter damaged leaves from it every spring as it is a major focal point when you enter the front of our home. Never heard of the 5 to 7 leaf thing. Have babies comming from the bottom, so it is doing something but not blooming!!!

I grew up in south Fl. where these were a typical part of the scenery, but having moved here from 20 plus years up north, I am still trying to acclimate myself to the plants that will survive here. (been here 18 years).
I would like to move this one, but afraid I may damage it in doing so.
(P.S.) Dean _W, our zone is between 8 & 9. I would say, get one, plant it close to the house & out of the north winds. Mine doesn't freeze to the ground in the winter,but will get a little brown on the tips of the leaves if in the cold too long! (Never hurts to try!!!)

Camillia84, thanks I saw some at a big box store. I may give it a try.

Good Luck!
Let me know how it does!

Camillia

As someone who has been a professional member of the horticultural industry ever since I was eighteen, particularly my many years of management for a corporate interior landscape company, the issue here is light. Your picture is proof by "form" of the plant. Light is the one element that can easily be measured by a light meter, yet to this day I chastise designers and sales folks for giving me "descriptive" lighting conditions. How many stories up is the skylight, what exposure are the windows, etc. etc. etc.- I have to ask them that. I am pretty blunt with folks after I patiently listen to their undetailed proclamation of "medium light"- GIVE ME A LIGHTMETER READING!!! But, enough about that. The story is only to illustrate that everyone's perspective of the light spectrum is very different. I have seen Strelitzia nicolai in every possible setting, and the only time they flower is in high light, and they don't even have to be that old. I can peruse the fifteen gallons (ou version of small) at the nursery on Monday to illustrate that. Camellia, my dear, you have 3 walls around your plant, it is under the eaves- that is not my defintion of full sun. Moving it wouldn't be a problem (from a digging/shock perspective), my concern is your zone. I think you have it in a protected area in a microclimate, and for that reason I would leave it where it is. That plant is connecting you with a memory, and that is a beautiful thing.

I'm having similar issues, and I'm thinking that it's probably light as well. It's about 8 years old, and growing taller and taller, but no blooms. The leaves are alot floppier than other giant POP I see. possible drainage issue..I've no idea.

I guess the fact that a fern tree is growing next to it is testimony to the light situation

Thanks to all for your input!
Camillia

Mine is in filtered light, along side the house. I don't fertilize, I dont water it, I dont do anything but occassionally snip off an old leaf. It's about 15 years old, and about 15 feet tall, and blooms non-stop. I think it started blooming when it was around 10 years old.
Someone once told me (who knows if it's true.....) that it needs to have 7 stems before blooming. ??? Couldnt tell ya..

I know mine needs a larger pot, perhaps it would do better if it was. Mine has a couple of offshoots too, but otherwise not doing a whole lot. This is the white BOP. I have a greenhouse, so overwintering is not a problem. Have the verigated BOP and it had 4 (yep, 4) blooms last summer. I about went into shock, as I never thought it would ever bloom. I got it on a discount because it looked so bad 2 years ago. I think I only paid 5 bucks for it. Was quite a treat to have those blooms last summer. :>)

Anna_Z.....

WOW! $5 for one that is blooming size is quite a find! Once they begin blooming, they seem to never really stop.

I think you need to stop cutting off the less-than-pretty leaves. The ones I've seen blooming had lots and lots of leaves. I've seen them blooming in partial shade, but they had a lot of leaf growth.

Karen

I had heard that too! so I have stopped cutting them on mine. I'm glad you mentioned that because I was beginning to think I had dreamed that bit of advice !

Rj

You guys have been such a source of information---not that familiar with the giant white ones!!!!
Knew mine was very young & the ones I'm used to in S.Florida, were very large!
I too, cut the "Ugly" leaves off. Guess you aren't supposed to do that!
If I remember right, I only paid about $5 for mine too. Been a few years & think I slept since then!!!!! LOL!

I've read that about all the BOP -- don't take the less-than-perfect leaves off as they need a lot of leaves before they will bloom. I'm from Los Angeles and there are lots of BOP growing there -- giant ones and regular-sized ones, orange/blue ones, and white ones. The blooming ones were always big, huge clumps. One place I lived the landlord chopped off about half the leaves, and it didn't bloom again until it grew the leaves back. It had always been a beautiful bloomer before that. And this clump was in a lot of shade, too.

Karen

okay, I'm glad I paid attention to that and stopped chopping the leaves a couple years ago. LOL, you should see me ...on ladder inspecting for the slightest look of a bloom

So maybe the 7 leaf syndrome I was told about isnt an old wives tale after all!

As far as I know it's not an old wives tale. But 20 leaves are better than seven even. I heard the same about spath (Peace) lilies, too. And it also appears to be true for them.

Karen

Until I posted the question here, I was not that familliar with the big white ones, don't see them too often here in N. Fl., but they are everywhere down south.
Have the orange ones & even though they are supposedly invasive, don't seem to be here, guess it gets too cold.
Have had to hide clippers (or anything else sharp) from hubby, since I found out you aren't supposed to cut off "The Ugly Leaves"!!! LOL!
He has a bad habit of going over board with trimming when he gets going, & since my BOP is right at the front entrance, he's always after me to cut it.
Haven't been lucky enough to find a varigated ones, still looking, but as I said, not too many around here.

This is mine...its about 3 years old and stands approx. 8'.
Odd that it doesn't fill out like some of yours have but rather resembles a Travelers Palm, huh?
Oh well........*waiting for blooms...tap...tap. :)

Forgot to add: It's in full sun all day.

This message was edited Jul 15, 2008 1:54 PM

Yes I've often wondered that myself.. Mine looks so different than the other ones I see...I wonder if it's a result of cutting the leaves off when it was younger..now it's so tall on a very banana like stem