Mexican Birds of Paradise

Question

We have 17 Red Mexican Birds of Paradise plants in our Phoenix, AZ yard. They are probably 20 years old. Right now (Late Oct) they are done growing their peas and the leaves are turning yellow. I want to trim them back to the ground because they look ugly right now but my wife says that a frost (we usually get one ore two a year in Feb or so) would kill them. Since they are so old, can I trim them now?

Answer 1

The best time to prune Mexican Bird of Paradise is in late winter or early spring. If they haven't been cut back in years, they can be cut back to near the ground. They can also be pruned annually to improve their shape.