Bird of Paradise Blooms, but They Don’t Open

Question

I have two bird of paradise about 5 feet away from each other in planters. They have a southern exposure and one blooms all summer long, but the other gets buds that don’t open. They just seem to get stuck halfway. I have had two blooms open this year for the first time. What is going on?

Answer 1

This is normally caused by a humidity issue. I would increase the water to the plant just a bit to increase humidity. You may also want to try wetting the leaves a bit in the morning (but not in the evening as this can encourage fungus) to raise the humidity.