Author Topic: Bird of Paradise? (Read 4033 times)

LynneNY · « **on:** May 11, 2010, 01:17:57 PM »

About 4 years ago, I bought a plant at IKEA that was labeled "Yellow Bird of Paradise". It has grown well in my kitchen but hasn't flowered yet. I had read that they don't flower until the plant gets 10 leaves - it has more than that. A year later, I bought another one at IKEA - I do like the foliage, so I figured IF I get any flowers that would be an awesome bonus!

I was wondering if anyone has grown these plants IN your ponds? The leaves are similar to the pickerel I just bought - fleshy and shiny, so I was wondering if it could be grown in my pond in full sun? Would that encourage it to bloom?

Jerry · « **Reply #1 on:** May 11, 2010, 04:29:26 PM »

I have been told it takes 7 years to bloom. I have never seen a yellow one.
Ikea may not be the best nursery!

LynneNY · « **Reply #2 on:** May 11, 2010, 05:35:28 PM »

Interesting - I hope it doesn't take 7 years $:-\$ - again... I've read on a few sites that they are supposed to bloom when they get 10 or more leaves. Hmmmm?

IKEA gets in some very nice and healthy plants from time to time, and their prices are usually very good.

I'm thinking it's more my northern location that is preventing the blooms, which is why I wonder if more direct sun might do the trick.

Jerry · « **Reply #3 on:** May 11, 2010, 06:19:24 PM »

They are a tropical, but like mediatrranen climates too. So Ca, and So Texas.
We saw them in San Antonio. Google Caldwell's Nursery in Rosenberg Texas. Lots of excellent photos

tranquility · « **Reply #4 on:** May 12, 2010, 11:49:15 AM »

I've always been told they take a while to bloom to...I've had the orange on for a while it blooms every year-and I've been told mine may be a miniature form because it only get about 1 1/2' tall....I jut got my white one last year and was told it takes along time for them to bloom....I bet yours is a white BOP...they are supposed to get HUGE...and I believe it from the tap roots it sends out....last fall I told hubby to pick up the pot and bring it in to the gh...He said--I can't it won't lift..He tugged alittle harder---and harder...finally he pulled hard enough that the tap root broke...It had came out of one of the holes and planted itself into the soil underneath....It did the same thing this year when I went to take it out of the gh....
Lawanna

Jonna · « **Reply #5 on:** May 12, 2010, 12:55:18 PM »

The white BOP gets enormous down here, they are often mistaken for a traveler's palm in size and leaf size. A friend has one that is maybe 2 years old and is over 10' high and about as wide. I planted a couple of the orange BOP in my recent yard re-do, they are fair sized and I expect they will bloom within the year. I think temperature must have an effect and perhaps chill in the winter slows them down up there.

LynneNY · « **Reply #6 on:** May 12, 2010, 02:00:36 PM »

Quote from: tranquility on May 12, 2010, 11:49:15 AM

I bet yours is a white BOP...they are supposed to get HUGE...Lawanna

I'm just curious why you would think that mine is white? Not trying to start anything here really, but both tags in both plants (sold a year apart) said they were yellow, and had pictures of the blooms on them - of yellow flowers. When I do a google search I come up with lots of images of yellow BOP, so why is everyone having a hard time believing that they are yellow I wonder?

I can't find the tags right now, or I'd take a picture and post them. I can tell you that the reason I bought them is that I LOVE yellow flowers.

I think when the weather warms up again - we are having very cold temps. and rain this week, I will pot the smaller one up and put it in the pond and see what it does.

tranquility · « **Reply #7 on:** May 12, 2010, 02:18:14 PM »

Aww I did google it--just now..You are correct that there is a yellow bird of Paradise shrub type plant...but, the one plant I saw when I googled "yellow Bird of Paradise" and what we are thinking are two different plants...what I found by googling looks more like a shrub type plant and nothing like what my BOP's look like...I'm sure everyone else who has posted on this thread are also thinking about the houseplant type...
Lawanna

LynneNY · « **Reply #8 on:** May 12, 2010, 05:15:05 PM »

I also saw a shrub plant, but there is also a regular BOP yellow flowering plant. Here are some links...

http://gardening.about.com/od/whatsnewinthegarden/ig/New-Flowers---Plants---Seeds/Strelitzia--Mandela-s-Gold-.htm

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-photo/mrcwoodsman/2/1269390067/yellow-bird-of-paradise.jpg/tpod.html

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/1147781300056084243DFepPy

http://www.tmseeds.com/product/Bird_of_Paradise_Collection/Versatile_Strelitzia_Seeds

Convinced yet?

Jerry · « **Reply #9 on:** May 12, 2010, 06:23:10 PM »

I am I am!
Id post mine but it says Upload folder is full Sean?

Jonna · « **Reply #10 on:** May 12, 2010, 06:33:00 PM »

Those are beautiful. I don't think I've seen the yellow ones here, but then I haven't looked. Now I will

I kind of thought you were talking about the yellow variety of what they call a Mexican BOP, at least that is what it is sold as in Palm Springs. It's a bush with small yellow BOP type flowers but not really the same. While I see the same bush down here a lot, I believe it is called the Pride of Barbados. I found a picture of it, I'll link to it because it isn't my picture.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nimbus29/3659736723/

Jerry · « **Reply #11 on:** May 12, 2010, 06:36:15 PM »

here the 2 popular one are Strelitzia nicolai and the big guy Strelitzia reginae.
I will post as soon as I can.

LynneNY · « **Reply #12 on:** May 12, 2010, 06:38:45 PM »

Interesting plant, Jonna. But I knew mine was a regular BOP from the leaves - they have the same long leaves as the other colors of BOP.

Can't wait to see your pictures, Jerry.

Joyce · « **Reply #13 on:** May 12, 2010, 06:41:18 PM »

Lynne, they are not suitable as pond plants....need excellent drainage.

Also, there is no such thing as a true 'house plant' because there is no plant whose native habitat is in a house.

What you need to do is imitate the plants native habitat as closely as possible and THEN you will get blooms.

BOPs like full sun to half a day of sun. Best half of the day is in the afternoon. (strongest sun)

So when the weather warms up a bit, bring your BOP outside and for the first few weeks, give it dappled sun,
then gradually give it more and more sun.
http://www.helium.com/items/1461892-houseplants-how-to-care-for-bird-of-paradise

When I lived in NC, my BOPs were in full hot sun all day and bloomed like crazy.

Cuz in their native habitat...they get full sun and no one moves them into the shade when it gets hot.

When you are in Florida you can find them planted in parking lot strip gardens getting absolutely no shade in the hottest dryest conditions,
blooming their heads off.

Jonna · « **Reply #14 on:** May 12, 2010, 06:45:23 PM »

Same thing in Calif and they plant them out in full sun out in the desert, mall parking lots, street dividers... they love the heat, sun and sandy soil. I'm hoping mine don't mind the good garden soil I have them in, they are in full sun though and down here that is pretty intense. They didn't even wilt when I transplanted them, just wiggled their roots and started putting out new leaves.

Jerry · « **Reply #15 on:** May 12, 2010, 06:53:39 PM »

I was about to say that. They are the cities flower.
I tried to post, but no luck.

LynneNY · « **Reply #16 on:** May 12, 2010, 07:47:35 PM »

Thanks for the great info, Joyce! I will put it in a large pot near the pond then.

Welcome back!

Mikey · « **Reply #17 on:** May 12, 2010, 07:51:11 PM »

I used to have the orange BOP but knowing how large in diameter they spread I removed it before I needed a backhoe.... Hopefully with time and sun, yours will soon bloom. The flowers last quite a while. Below is my giant BOP in 2003. If I took the same photo angle today you would only see trunk because it has grown so tall. I find the flowers of the giant BOP to be pretty plain, however, they ooze nectar which attracts the Mourning Cloak butterflies and Mocking birds and Orioles.

Holldoll · « **Reply #18 on:** May 12, 2010, 10:18:13 PM »

I just planted the orange one this weekend. I planted it next to the pond in full sun and lost of compost and sand to soften the clay soil. I hope it likes it there! They seem to do well around here.

Jerry · « **Reply #19 on:** May 12, 2010, 11:11:05 PM »

LynneNY · « **Reply #20 on:** May 13, 2010, 07:41:39 AM »

Thanks for sharing the pictures, Mikey! That is HUGE!

I don't think I'll have the problem of it getting too large, since our outdoor growing season is only about 4 months here. It will be a nice experiment - I will take before and after pics this summer.

Jerry - "one"?

Jerry · « **Reply #21 on:** May 13, 2010, 08:35:26 AM »

No idea what I meant!

LynneNY · « **Reply #22 on:** May 13, 2010, 08:49:00 AM »

Jerry · « **Reply #23 on:** May 13, 2010, 08:53:38 AM »

No luck on posting pix!
Mikey, I found when the big BOP gets too big, merely cut it back! It sends up fresh lush leaves just fine and looks great.
The term "BOP" cracks me up! Bop, bop, bop!

Jonna · « **Reply #24 on:** May 13, 2010, 10:24:12 AM »

Mikey has the white one I was thinking of, you can see why it gets mistaken for a Traveler's Palm.

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #25 on:** May 13, 2010, 10:38:08 AM »

Jerry, I had trouble posting a pic on Tink's Japanese maple thread today so it isn't just you. I about gave up...I had difficulty posting this reply too and there are no pictures.

In Phoenix we had the tropical BOP Strelitzia reginae, white BOP Strelitzia nicolai and Mexican BOP Caesalpinia pulcherrima which are not related. I always loved the Mexican birds, they are so delicate and colorful. They have a bunch of relatives too.

The tropical ones needed some shade or they fried. I had a huge one at my mother's condo. I've seen blooms on one gallon sized plants. They don't need seven years or ten leaves or whatever. They do need enough heat and light.

I've never seen a yellow one, all that I've seen are orange and blue. Not saying there isn't one, just saying I've never seen one as a plant or a cut flower. (was florist for twenty years)

Jerry · « **Reply #26 on:** May 16, 2010, 10:16:16 AM »

Another try. This is mine.

Jerry · « **Reply #27 on:** May 16, 2010, 10:57:12 AM »

More:

I think this thread belongs in Terrestrial plants, but that is a minor thing. We are just glad to be up and running!
Look, we even have one in the bathroom!
Bottom the "Giant" Bird.

LynneNY · « **Reply #28 on:** May 16, 2010, 05:40:28 PM »

Very pretty plant, Jerry! I wish it was tropical enough here to grow them in the ground year round!

The reason I put it here and not in terrestrial plants, is that I was asking about growing it in the pond. I potted it up yesterday and put it on a shelf in the pond - so far, so good. Hopefully it will bloom with more direct sun now.

Jerry · « **Reply #29 on:** May 16, 2010, 10:22:37 PM »

Of course Lynne. Threads evolve, no big deal at all. I was actually thinking of myself, not you.
It was me breaking the "rules"