Bird of Paradise Seeds

Question

Fourteen years ago I was successful in germinating 1 out of 5 seeds from Hawaii. It grew indoors 5′ tall but never bloomed. Unfortunately, I gave it away. I recently purchased seeds locally and it says to soak in water for 24 hours, germinate in moist sand in a dark area in temps around 65 to 70 degrees. Can you tell me the best and fastest method to germinate these seeds?

Also, I just read that after removing the orange tuft, you should score the end of the seed and something else said to store them in the sand in a plastic sealed bag for two weeks. Would like the proper directions for growing a plant that will bloom (although I’ve now learned it takes 3 years to flower and grows 1 foot in 3 years).

Answer 1

It takes Bird of Paradise plants three to five years to mature from seeds, which are about the same size as a sweet pea seeds and have orange fuzz on the end. Hard seed shells dictate that they must be scratched before they will germinate. The easiest way to do this is to soak them in room temperature water overnight and nick the hard case with a knife or other instrument prior to planting. Do not allow the soil to become dry. Keep it moist, not wet. Cover the seed with a glass container, such as a jar, in order to create a humid environment. It will take Bird of Paradise seeds eight to twelve weeks to germinate.