Bird of Paradise Growth Rate – How Fast Does it Grow?
The Bird of paradise will roughly double its size within the first 2-3 years. It will take roughly 4-5 years before it produces its first blooms.
Strelitzia reginae
Strelitzia reginae is possibly the most popular Strelitzia with its signature orange and blue flowers. It can grow up to 1.8m (6ft) high if provided with the right conditions.
Strelitzia nicolai
The Strelitzia nicolai is also known as the giant Bird of paradise. In the right conditions, the Strelitzia nicolai can grow at a rate of up to 2m per year and can grow as tall as 10m (30ft).
Strelitzia alba
The Strelitzia alba can reach a height of 5–6 m when grown outdoors. At this height, the leaves can be up to 1.5m (5ft) in length and as wide as 30cm–40cm (12in).
Strelitzia juncea
The Strelitzia juncea resembles the popular reginae but has smaller, tighter leaves. It is small compared to the others, reaching only 1-2m (4–7ft) in height.
How fast does a Bird of paradise grow outdoors?
The Strelitzia reginae will grow new leaves in the warmer months of spring and summer. The plants will take around 5 years to reach a height of between 1,5 m and 1,8 m (5 ft).
Provide your plant with lots of indirect bright light, well-draining soil, and frequent watering to keep your plant happy and reach its full potential.
You can read all about growing your Bird of paradise outdoors here.
How fast does the Bird of paradise grow indoors?
The Bird of paradise placed indoors will grow at a slower rate than those placed outdoors. In cooler climates, they will be quite happy near a bright window as opposed to outside.
For a Bird of paradise situated indoors, you can expect roughly 30cm (1 ft ) of growth per year.
When grown, however, the emphasis should be put on growing a tight, bushy plant as opposed to a taller, more leggy version. Tall leaves in the way can be removed to keep the form.
How often does the Bird of paradise grow new leaves?
The Bird of paradise is evergreen, which means its leaves stay green and attached to the plant, oftentimes for multiple years at a time. For this reason, new leaves appear less frequently than in most plants.
If you want to encourage new growth, provide your plant with proper care. Lightly pruning your plant may also help stimulate the growth of new leaves and flowers.
How to get your bird of paradise to grow faster
Sometimes our plants need a little extra help to look their best. Here are some ways to help your plant put out more growth.
Provide it with a liquid fertilizer
Offering your plant a dose of liquid fertilizer can give your plant an extra boost of nitrogen, which will help your plant push out new growth. You can also add a diluted fish emulsion. This can be fed to your plants every 4 weeks during the growing months of spring and summer. Do not feed your plant during the winter when it is dormant.
Remove any dead foliage or flowers
Any brown or damaged leaves should be removed from the plant using sterilized secateurs. This will allow more light to reach down to move healthier leaves.
Add mulch
Mulch can help regulate your plants’ moisture levels, keeping roots happy and helping your plant grow faster.
Not only will bark mulch regulate water loss, but it will also absorb excess water and slowly release it back into the soil to feed your plant.
Mulch also has the added benefit of reducing the possibility of weed growth.
Factors that affect the growth rate
Climate: light and temperature
Replicating a plant’s natural environment will give you the best growth rate. Since the Strelitzia is native to South Africa, providing it with a warm, sunny, and moist environment is very important for a happy plant.
Your plant needs to receive bright light for at least 6 hours a day. The plant can survive in full sun or partial shade under the correct conditions. In hotter regions, opt for semi-shaded areas.
For colder climates, your plant will fare better in much brighter areas and will receive full sun. Avoid planting the plant in full sun if you live in a harsh climate, as this may damage the plant.
Potting substrate and nutrients
Bird of paradise puts out big foliage. It, therefore, requires a rich, well-draining soil full of nutrients. A poor quality soil will provide little nutrition to your plant and will eventually stymie its growth.
Similarly, a poor soil mix will provide no enrichment to your plant and may hurt it down the line if it has poor aeration or drainage capabilities.
Water
Plants require adequate water to be happy. Too little or too much water will hinder your plants’ growth.
Too little water will cause your plants’ growth to slow down, as they won’t have the resources available to push out new growth.
Too much water and you run the risk of root rot, which in severe cases can not only hinder a plant’s growth but also kill it.
Water that has a high mineral build-up may also damage your plant as a chemical build-up occurs in the soil.
Nutrients
For your plant to grow large, push out plenty of new leaves, and remain healthy, you’ll need to occasionally feed your Bird of paradise with fertilizer. Be sure to read the label, and select one that contains nitrogen, potassium, as well as phosphorus.
Want to give your plant an extra boost? Add some compost and manure to the soil.
In conclusion
One of the reasons the Bird of paradise is so popular is because of its size. This, however, could become an issue several years down the line if your plant becomes too large. If space is a concern, you can trim your Bird of paradise regularly to maintain its size.