How to Get a Bird of Paradise Plant to Bloom-Curling Yellow Leaves

Good Evening
I am hoping you can help me I purchased a Bird of Paradise Plant. I researched the plant as much as I could and have kept it in the correct conditions, but the leaves are still curling and turning yellow, I also spotted tiny little bugs on the plant a couple of hours ago so wiped it down with soapy water, any advice you could give me would be very much appreciated. I would love to see this plant bloom, the pictures of them I have seen online are stunning.
Thank you very much for your time.
Kindest Regards

Leanne

 

 

Hi Leanne,

There is an indoor and an outdoor Bird of Paradise plant. I don’t know which one you have. The indoor variety, Strelizia – White Bird of Paradise, is shown in the picture below, and it rarely blooms indoors. You can read all my care tips on how to grow an indoor Bird of Paradise in the Popular Houseplant section of the website.

https://www.houseplant411.com/houseplant/bird-of-paradise-how-to-grow-plant-care-guide

 

The outdoor Bird of Paradise, Strelitzia reginae, is a slow-growing plant  and will not bloom until it is three to five years old. They like  bright indirect light all year but no direct sun. Moderate temperatures between 65-90°F (18.3°-32.2°C).  Keep the soil moist in the summer, but allow the soil to dry out before watering in the fall and winter. Feed monthly in the spring and summer when a Bird of Paradise is actively growing; use a balanced plant food diluted to 1/2 the recommended strength. Never fertilize a Bird of Paradise plant in the fall and winter when it is resting. Excess plant food deposits salts in the soil and these salts cause leaf tip burn.

The leaves of an indoor Bird of Paradise plant curl when the plant is not getting enough light. Try moving your plant to a brighter location. If that doesn’t stop the leaves from curling, try giving the plant more water. If the leaves are curling and also turning yellow or blotchy, check for spider mites. Read all about spider mites and how to treat the in the Glossary of the website.