Bird-of-Paradise Houseplant

Question

My bird-of-paradise is 4 years old and has never bloomed. It sits in a south window, so it gets plenty of sunshine. I water when it’s dry and fertilize every two weeks. It stands two feet now and has been transplanted once, when the roots started to come out from the bottom of the pot. What have I done wrong?

Answer 1

I suspect that light is still an issue for the plant and this is preventing it from blooming. Try adding supplemental light. This can be as simple as a fluorescent bulb in a lamp placed nearby. Adding a little high phosphorous fertilizer will also help encourage blooming.

Answer 2

The plant that you have is most likely a White Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia alba). It rarely if ever flowers indoors where it is used as a specimen foliage plant. I have never seen one flower indoors outside of a greenhouse or solarium. Just enjoy it as a large, fast growing foliage plant.