Is Your Bird of Paradise Not Growing? Here’s What to Do

There are several reasons as to why your Bird of paradise may have decreased growth or be producing no new growth at all. Below we’ll look at some of the most common reasons and what to do about them.

Insufficient light

One of the most common reasons for a lack of growth is caused by insufficient sunlight. The Bird of paradise loves the sun and needs lots of it to thrive.

Provide your plant with 6+ hours of bright, indirect light.

You can place your plant somewhere that receives direct light, provided it is not during the hottest time of the day as this may result in burns on the plant.

Always transition your plant slowly when moving it near a stronger light source to avoid causing stress.

Keep a close eye on your plant after you’ve moved it. Monitor its growth and the moisture levels of the soil.

You may need to increase your watering habits to compensate for the additional evaporation your plant will experience.

If no new growth appears after several weeks, something else may be the cause of your Bird of paradise’s lack of growth.

Lack of water

If you notice a lack of growth, another common reason can be insufficient watering. While the Bird of paradise doesn’t like sitting in soggy soil, it also doesn’t like its soil to dry out completely.

If your plant’s soil becomes too dry, you may notice the leaves curling, wilting, or even browning. These are all signs that your Bird of paradise is not receiving enough water.

This will prevent the plant from pushing out new growth.

Check your soil moisture regularly. You can easily do this by sticking your finger in the soil. If it feels dry, it’s ready for the water.

If the soil still feels a bit damp to the touch, wait a few more days before watering your Bird of paradise again.

If you’d prefer something a little more accurate and a bit less messy, you can pick up a moisture meter from your local nursery center.

Impure water

Where possible, try watering your plants with rainwater. Tap water commonly contains calcium and chlorine. Over time, these trace compounds can build up.

These harm your plant because they burn the roots. This then makes it more difficult for them to absorb water or transport essential nutrients to the plant.

If you can’t collect rainwater, distilled water is the next best option.

Your plant is rootbound

While the Strelitzia likes being rootbound to a point, if it runs out of space, new growth will slow down or may even stop completely.

Since the Bird of paradise is such a fast-growing plant, you will likely need to repot it a few times over the years.

If your plant needs to be repotted, it will make this known to you.

Roots will begin creeping out of the pot drainage holes, or if your plant is very rootbound, it may even begin to crack your container all together.

Choose a new container that is one or two sizes larger. Avoid going any bigger than this.