Its vivid, daring, unique flowers make this hanging accent plant simply recognizable. I lived in Santa Barbara, CA, the place these crops are frequent, for ten years, and had a number of rising in my backyard. This particulars Chook Of Paradise plant care, primarily outside, with a short part on rising it as a houseplant.
In Southern California, this plant is ubiquitous within the floor and containers. It’s frequent however liked nonetheless, a lot in order that it’s the official flower of Los Angeles.
I now reside in Tucson, AZ, and infrequently see it in containers and planters. This isn’t its perfect rising local weather, however that doesn’t cease it from being planted. The Yellow Chook Of Paradise and Purple Chook Of Paradise (a unique genus) are extra suited to rising within the desert.
Botanical Identify: Strelitzia Reginae Widespread Identify: Chook Of Paradise, Orange Chook of Paradise, Crane Flower, Crane Plant
Word: This submit was printed on 6/8/2016. It was up to date on 2/16/2024.
Chook of Paradise Plant Care Information
Chook Of Paradise Traits
Dimension
This subtropical/tropical clumping evergreen perennial can attain 4-6′ tall by 6-8′ broad in heat climates. It grows densely and reaches the dimensions of a shrub, so house is required for mature crops. Relying on the pot’s dimensions, the dimensions is extra restricted when rising in containers.
Makes use of
Many! Chook Of Paradise crops develop alongside sidewalks and streets, by the ocean, poolside, in parking strips, container plantings, and in lots of gardens. It provides tropical vibes to any panorama.
Flowers
The orange and blue Chook Of Paradise flowers are the large draw for many. They’re long-lasting, on the plant and as minimize flowers. Extra on BOP Flowering in a piece additional down.
Hardiness
They’re hardy to 25-30 levels F. The Chook Of Paradise grows in USDA zones 10-12 and in zone 9 with safety from extended freezes. You may develop it outside within the hotter months and transfer it indoors when temperatures drop.
Chook Of Paradise Vegetation Open air
Gentle Necessities
The Chook Of Paradise grows the perfect and blooms essentially the most in vivid mild. Full solar is okay alongside the coast of SoCal, the place the maritime layer is prevalent.
It prefers partial shade inland and in locations with blazing sizzling summers, like the place I reside within the Arizona desert.
Watering A Chook Of Paradise
The Chook Of Paradise seems and does the perfect with common water – not too moist or too dry. Don’t give it a number of splashes every now and then, however a deep watering each 2-3 weeks within the heat rising season.
Southern California was experiencing a drought once I left in 2016. The foliage of this plant was not trying prefer it did pre-drought years. It was smaller and curled and brown on the sides.
New crops require extra water than mature crops. As soon as crops are established, you’ll be able to set up a watering schedule primarily based in your environmental circumstances.
Humidity
This tropical plant prefers excessive humidity. Alongside the California coast, in Florida and Hawaii, they get the humidity they like. Right here in Tucson and Phoenix, they appear much less “sturdy” as a result of dry air.
Feeding
They recognize common feeding throughout the rising season. A lot of the ones that grew in public areas round Santa Barbara and different areas of SoCal didn’t get any. They regarded good however would have benefited from a month-to-month feeding from early spring by early fall.
I by no means fertilized mine however fed them with a beneficiant high dressing of natural compost, which additionally helped preserve moisture. If yours isn’t trying tip-top or the blooms are scarce, apply a balanced fertilizer like 5-5-5 or 10-10-0.
Soil
The Chook Of Paradise isn’t too fussy as to soil, as evidenced by the wide range of locations it grows in. Nonetheless, It prefers a loamy, considerably wealthy combine and desires good drainage.
Rising it in pots, an excellent high quality potting soil with an modification like pumice labored in, will assist drainage and aeration. It could recognize compost, manure, or worm compost added for nourishment.
Repotting/Transplanting
Spring and summer time are the perfect instances to do that.
In the event you’re doing this for the primary time, be warned: this plant has a dense, vigorous root ball. Crowded clumps bloom finest, so don’t rush to transplant it.
You may repot yours because it grows. As soon as a plant has reached maturity and the pot dimension is proportional to the dimensions of the plant, go away it. I noticed giant clumps in giant pots rising throughout SoCal, they usually had been doing superb and fortunately blooming away.
Pests
I’ve solely seen them with mealybugs, however I’ve learn that they will also be vulnerable to scale and spider mites. An excellent blast with the backyard hose will ship these pests flying. Simply make sure you get the undersides of the leaves and within the nodes as properly.
A do-it-yourself spray with gentle, pure dish cleaning soap and water may also assist. If the infestation has worsened, neem oil and insecticidal cleaning soap are good choices.
Pruning
Chook Of Paradise doesn’t require a lot common pruning in any respect. You’ll wish to take away the lifeless flowers, leaves, and unpleasant foliage. Make certain your pruners are clear and sharp so that you get even cuts.
Simply make sure you take the stems down as near the bottom of the plant as you’ll be able to. You wish to do the identical with the lifeless flower stalks. Having lifeless stalks sticking up isn’t an excellent look!
Propagation
Spring by early summer time is the perfect time to do that. That stated, my neighbor divided his in late fall, and it did superb.
Division is the quickest approach of propagating Chook Of Paradise crops. Crowded clumps bloom finest, so don’t rush to divide a younger plant. The basis ball is robust, dense, and hard, so be ready if you happen to do divide one!
Chook Of Paradise Flowering
The crested orange flowers with accents of blue are what this plant is grown for, each within the panorama and commercially. The flowers are long-lasting on the plant in addition to in floral preparations.
While you plant a small Chook Of Paradise, don’t be shocked if it doesn’t flower for the first few years. Younger crops don’t bloom.
Because the plant ages, flowering will increase. Don’t rush to divide as a result of it blooms higher when crowded.
It blooms the heaviest, in Southern California anyway, fall by spring and intermittently all through the summer time.
Are you asking how do I get my Chook Of Paradise to bloom? Probably the most frequent causes yours isn’t blooming are the plant isn’t sufficiently old and the sunshine is inadequate. Crowded clumps bloom finest.
Chook Of Paradise Leaves
The inexperienced paddle-like leaves can develop brown edges on account of an excessive amount of or too little water, lack of humidity, or water high quality.
Among the older leaves get ratty on account of sturdy wind. Break up leaves are extra frequent with the Large Chook Of Paradise, however this one has them too. It’s how these crops develop – the leaves slit as they open.
If yours is rising indoors and the leaves are turning yellow, it’s normally as a result of soil being saved too moist and/or the soil being too heavy.
Chook Of Paradise Open air In Pots
This plant does nice in pots. Because the plant grows and spreads, it’ll want a big pot to accommodate the vigorous root ball.
Simply be certain that the pot has drainage holes so extra water can move out. They don’t like to sit down in soggy soil.
Bear in mind, a Chook Of Paradise with a crowded root ball blooms the perfect, so don’t repot yours yearly.
Chook of Paradise Plant Care Indoors
I’ve by no means grown this as an indoor plant. I’ve been rising a Strelitzia nicolai (The Large Chook Of Paradise or White Chook Of Paradise) in my dwelling in Tucson for 2 years, and the care is identical. Listed below are a number of ideas.
*Excessive mild is the important thing. Give the Chook Of Paradise as a lot pure mild as doable – it wants this brighter mild for foliage and flower manufacturing. Make sure to rotate your plant (except it will get mild from all sides) so it grows evenly. Close to however not in west-facing home windows (no touching sizzling glass) is finest.
*Identical to outside, it likes to develop crowded, so don’t rush to do any repotting. By preserving it potbound, you’ll get a lot better blooms.
*You wish to hold it barely moist by giving it common water. Again off on the watering within the cooler, darker months, permitting it to dry out earlier than doing it once more. This plant is vulnerable to root rot, so don’t hold it “mushy.”
*If lots of the leaf edges are turning brown, one trigger may very well be water high quality. This plant is vulnerable to a build-up of minerals in faucet water. Strive utilizing filtered, rain, or distilled water. I’ve an under-sink tankless r/o system in my kitchen, which I exploit to water all my houseplants.
*Our properties are usually dry. You may create a extra humid atmosphere with a small humidifier close by. Some like to make use of a saucer full of pebbles and water and set the develop pot on high (guarantee no roots keep soaked). An occasional misting a few instances every week would even be appreciated.
*You wish to plant it in a pleasant, wealthy potting combine. A number of handfuls of coco coir, pumice, and compost.
*Make certain there’s at the very least one drainage gap on the underside of the pot so the surplus water can move out. Don’t let your plant sit in a water-filled saucer.
*By way of feeding, you may give your Chook Of Paradise a drink with a balanced natural liquid houseplant fertilizer in spring. If it wants slightly increase, do it month-to-month by the tip of summer time. We now have a protracted rising season right here, so I feed my Large Chook Of Paradise 6 to 7 instances a 12 months. Within the spring, you’ll be able to apply a 2″ layer of natural compost and/or worm castings. This works slower, however the results last more.
*It’s a good suggestion to scrub the plant’s leaves now and again. In the event you can’t put it within the bathe or exterior within the rain, then wipe the foliage with a dampened comfortable fabric every now and then.
*This plant is taken into account to be poisonous. You may learn in regards to the diploma of toxicity on the ASPCA web site.
Chook Of Paradise Plant Care Video Information
Birds Of Paradise Plant Care FAQs
It’ll tolerate shade, however the foliage can be smaller and the stems extra stretched. Plus, it wants vivid mild to bloom.
My expertise with this plant is with rising it exterior. If yours grows indoors, you’ll be able to put it exterior for the hotter months. Simply be certain that to deliver it again indoors earlier than the temps dip beneath freezing.
Take them off, stem and all. You wish to prune the stems again to the bottom of the plant.
In conclusion, This beautiful accent plant is straightforward to take care of outside (it’s one powerful pet) however is a bit more of a problem indoors. The large draw is the daring tropical foliage and vivid, long-lasting blooms. It actually will deliver a contact of tropical magnificence into your property or backyard!
Completely satisfied gardening,
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Nell, the founding father of Pleasure Us backyard, was born right into a gardening household and grew up in Connecticut’s countryside. After dwelling in Boston, New York, San Francisco, & Santa Barbara, she now calls the Arizona desert dwelling. She studied horticulture & backyard design, working within the subject all her life. Nell is a gardener, designer, blogger, Youtube creator, & writer. She’s been gardening for a really very long time & desires to share what she’s discovered with you.