Bird of Paradise plant indoors?

Has anyone tried this with any success? I'd like to buy a plant, keep it outside during the summer and bring it in over the winter. I'm in zone 6. Is this a picky plant?

It does need really good light.If you start with a small plant,it could be years before it blooms.They are beautiful though.
Lynn

I found one on line (Stokes Tropicals). It is shipped bare root, 2 1/2 feet (which doesn't make a lot of sense to me). I would LOVE to have this plant and not kill it : )

Having raised several BOPs outside in zones 8 & 9 all I can say is that BOPs love sun, water and fertilizer. They seem to like being cozy in their pots w/o being completely rootbound. They really need a LOT of sunlight and warm weather. Bright light would be best, I think for at least 10 hrs a day. The fertilizer is like a hibiscus fertilizer - high first and last numbers but LOW middle number but then I don't think BOPs can count and they are really very hardy. Don't be cutting off any leaves. They need at least 5-7 leaves on a plant to bloom. I learned this the hard way. I cut off "ugly" leaves for years until I slipped up and didn't and the darned thing bloomed! Benign neglect is the watch word. Make sure they drain well and you have it made.

Ann

I am growing a White Bird of Paradise as an indoor plant here in my part of the world. Mine does well near a window which receive's the most sunlight in the winter month's and need's watering often. So far it is thriving here in Zone 7A as a houseplant.

Rachel

Rachel, has it bloomed for you? I've never seen a white BOP in bloom only the orange/blue ones and the so called "Mexican BOP".

Ann

The white ones are GORGEOUS ... I think I'll get an orange one first and see how it does. Will it handle the move from deck to indoors as weather dictates? I have one tropical that I tried putting outside ... it thrived but then the move to the sunny window depressed it. I just leave it in all year now and it is thriving and blooming.

Hi Ann, My BOP is only a couple of year's old and I have read that these plant's need to have some "age" on them in order to bloom. I have also read that it is rather rare if one will ever bloom as a contained indoor plant as well so only time will tell for mine.

Takela, as far as moving your plant's inside to out and vs. versa, you need to adjust them to it slowly.

Have a great day

Rachel

I highly recommend trying it as a HP.
My 'orange' is still quite young, but grows relatively compactly as opposed to the 'white'.

Rachel...I'm growing a white indoors here in WI, too.
Mine is almost touching the 10 ft. ceiling...and has some leaves about 2 ft. wide and 4' long.

I've been meaning to take a photo with my 10 y.o. standing next to it.(Ü)

No blooms for me yet....but it's a lovely majestic plant, and whether it blooms or not I love having it indoors.

I did take it outdoors for several summers...but it's simply too large now to do so without damaging it in transit!
It sits directly in front of a nice bright south window, and gets a couple of hours of direct sun (well..on some of the leaves, anyway!) each day.

Hi Nan. Your's sound's beautiful and I would enjoy viewing a pic of it when you have time. Those leave's .....I can't wait until mine get's as big as your's. I, like you, really just enjoy my bop because it's really a beautiful foliage plant and won't mind if I ever get to see it bloom.

Thank's for the information on the "orange" as well. I want one of those too;-)

Rachel