Where to Buy a Bird of Paradise Plant? 6 Helpful Tips

Buying a Bird of paradise can be costly, especially if you want a more mature one. You’ll want to ensure you can meet all of its care needs, as well as ensuring you have the space.

Provided you meet all the plant’s care requirements, it can reach a staggering 2 m tall when grown indoors.

The Bird of paradise is a living statement piece and gives an instant jungle feel to any room in the house. Read on to find out how to pick the perfect Bird of paradise for your space.

Considerations before purchase

To get a plant to thrive, one should try to mimic the plant’s natural habitat. Being native to South Africa, this plant loves warm conditions year-round.

There are some things you’ll want to keep in mind before purchasing a Bird of paradise plant.

Space

Before adding a Bird of paradise to your home, you will need to consider if you have the space. While this may not be too much of a challenge with most houseplants, the Bird of paradise can grow big and fast.

If you have a space that receives ample bright light, then the Bird of paradise may be the perfect addition to your growing plant collection.

Light

Light is a very important need of this plant as it requires a great deal of energy to be able to hold up its massive foliage. If your plant does not receive at least 6 hours of sunlight, it is unlikely to bloom.

Exposure to low light may cause failure to thrive in your plant. Prolonged low light will result in excessively split leaves, causing your plant to look unsightly.

Once damaged, leaves cannot be repaired. It also greatens the possibility of root rot in your plant, as the soil drying out process will be drawn out.

Toxicity

The Bird of paradise is mildly toxic to children. It is also toxic to dogs, cats, horses, and rabbits, so it’s best to keep your furry friends away from this one, or you may end up at the vet.

Where to buy a Bird of paradise 

When buying a new plant, it is always best to do research first. This will allow you to get a good idea on what a healthy plant looks like. It will also give you a good estimate on how much you should pay for a plant.

While a cheap price tag might be appealing, proceed with caution. This can signal that it was mass grown.

Sometimes when this happens, less care is given and oftentimes these plants can arrive with bugs and introduce them to your other plants.

At your local nursery

You can check out your local nursery to see what they have in stock. An added benefit to this is you will be able to inspect the plant yourself.

A healthy plant will be green, and firm to the touch. Another benefit to shopping locally is oftentimes staff will be able to give advice on care, as well as any additional items you may need like fertilizers, etc.

Online retailers

Online houseplant websites have exploded in popularity in the past few years. These are a good option as the sellers are usually smaller than the nurseries, allowing greater care to the individual plant.

The result is usually a healthier, stronger plant.

This is not true in all cases, however. You should do research and read reviews to get an idea of who trusted sellers are.

Another benefit to online retailers is that you have a wider selection of plants, as you can import them from all over the country, or even the world if you so choose. This gives you greater flexibility in plant choice.

A downside, however, is that you cannot see the individual specimen and examine it prior to purchase.

Private sellers

Scour websites such as Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Gumtree to find private sellers. This will often allow you to find bargains in your local community.

This can also help you find local plant communities that can put you in touch with more possible plant sellers.

Plant swaps

Your local community may take place in monthly plant swaps.

As the trend of houseplants increases, these too are becoming increasingly popular.You can check social media for any events or groups in your suburb which may be plant-related. Don’t find any? Why not create one!

How to select the right plant

Having to select a plant can feel daunting if you are standing in front of a hundred of the same one. How do you choose the right one? What should you look out for when picking out a plant?

Below we go through some helpful tips for choosing the perfect plant.

6 helpful tips to choose the perfect plant

1. Always research and check reviews where possible. Trusted, verified sellers are your best option for a healthy plant.
2. In-person: If you are selecting plants in person, be sure to examine the plants up close. The plant should feel firm. Any signs of soft, mushy, or broken stems indicate issues.
3. The plant should show no signs of yellowing or curling. Avoid plants that show signs of brown spots on the leaves. Leaves should be a dark green-gray in color and shouldn’t show any signs of excessive drooping.
4. Where possible, lift the plant up and examine it beneath the nursery pot. Avoid these plants as it indicates the plant has been standing at the nursery for a long time and is already root-bound. It will need to be repotted immediately after purchase, which will cause additional stress on top of an environmental change. This will cause a slow recovery.
5. When purchasing online: Try and only purchase from sellers with good reviews. Be sure to check the pot size the plant comes in before you click buy, as sometimes examples are shown featuring mature plants which do not correctly reflect the plants true size or form.
6. Where possible, only order on a Monday to give your plant the best chance of arriving before the weekend. Your plant will likely be able to recover, but it is not ideal and will cause stress to your Bird of paradise.

Welcoming your new plant home

Whether purchasing online or from a nursery, your plant’s environment is likely to change slightly. Expect your plant to possibly experience some shock, especially if it was ordered online and had to be shipped to your door.

After finding the perfect spot in your house that receives lots of light, test your plant’s soil to see if it is dry.

You can do this by placing your finger knuckle deep into the soil. If it feels dry, give your plant a drink of water to help it settle in. If your plant’s soil feels wet, avoid this. Instead, you can mist your plant to spoil it.

In conclusion

The Bird of paradise is a must-have for any houseplant enthusiast. It’s certain to add a dramatic tropical flare to any room. If you are looking for a big, gorgeous statement plant and have a sunny spot, then the Bird of paradise is perfect for you.