Bird of Paradise Care and Potting

The Bird of Paradise is considered the queen of the indoor plant world. This large, fascinating plant adds a unique, tropical flair to your house as its glossy, attractive leaves fan out.

Why it’s called bird of paradise?

Bird of paradise, also called Strelitzia reginae, is a species of evergreen tropical herbaceous plant, native to South Africa. Given its own family Strelitziaceae by taxonomists, it is still closely related to bananas. Many often mistakenly call this plant the “banana tree” because it looks like banana plants. These regal plants derive the name from the beautiful, orange crane-like flowers that they produce, like birds of paradise. Under the right conditions, including full, southern light exposure, proper humidity and temperature, bird of paradise may flower indoors, although this is rare, because there will not be enough light to trigger the plant to produce a bloom.

Learn how to care for a Bird of Paradise

Bird of paradise care is not difficult. It needs rich soil that is well draining. It is relatively hardy and adapts to a wide spectrum of light conditions from direct sun to low, indirect light, but will bloom most profusely when in full sun. Indoor plants should be slightly away from southern windows to avoid burning. Also, plants grown outdoors in desert climates should be planted in a partial shade situation. During the growing season, optimal temperatures are 65-70 Fahrenheit (18-21℃) during the day and 50℉(10℃) at night. The plants can be heavily damaged when temperatures dip below 24 Fahrenheit (-4℃).

The most common diseases are fungus based. Water under the leaves or when the foliage can dry before nightfall. Avoid overwatering, which can cause several root rots. Water and humidity are important to keep your bird of paradise healthy. It needs consistent watering to keep the soil moist, but never wet or soggy. In addition to careful watering, it will benefit from regular misting to boost its humidity. Remember to check the mature size and leave plenty of room for it to grow when choosing the container.

Note: pets also enjoy nibbling on these plants, but it can be irritating to them, causing abdominal pain and vomiting, so beware of this if you have pets. Best practice is always to keep houseplants out of reach of small children and pets.

Grow bird of paradise with Leizisure self-watering pots

Leizisure self-watering pot is featured in its sub-irrigation system, which helps plant to care for itself. The flowerpot is composed of inner pot, outer cover and water level indicator. The space left between the inner pot and the outer pot is named water reservoir and it holds enough water for your plants to keep hydrated for weeks.

Leizisure self-watering flowerpots

When planting, first, come with the Leizisure substrate, also called PON, which contains rich natural minerals. Place the substrate at the bottom of the inner pot. It works as a buffer between the water and soil, absorbing the moisture and slowly releasing it to the roots. Then take the plant into the inner pot, and fill it with nutrient soil. Next put the inner pot inside the outer cover to finish the potting process. All plants need to be watered after repotting. Water it slowly to provide chance for soil to absorb moisture rather than rushing it, making the water just run at the bottom of the planter. The planter has drainage, so the excess water would flow into the cover.

For the first 3-4 months, you need to water through the soil, for the roots need some time to grow and open up. When it adjusts to the new pot, the plant is in control of its water intake and ready to use the water reservoir. At this time, water it via the water supply shaft which is beside the water level indicator. There is a red stick in the indicator, when the stick rises to reach the ‘max’ line, stop watering. It means the reservoir is full. So whether you are on a business trip, too busy to take care of your plants, or even some occasional events happens, like the COVID-19 pandemic which keeps you away from home, the left-behind plants do can live well in 20 days with Leizisure self-watering flowerpot.