How Fast Does White Bird of Paradise Grow?

The Giant White Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia nicolai) becomes a large, thick-stemmed tropical perennial up to 30 feet tall. Evergreen when not nipped by a light winter frost, it grows into a clumping mass of large paddle-like leaves with white and purple flowers.

Growth Rate

• The White Bird of Paradise is a fast-growing plant. Tropical warmth, plenty of sunshine and moist but well-drained soil rich in organic matter increase lushness.
  

  Size

• Besides growing tall and as a clump, the leaves of this plant unfurl from the thick stem trunk rapidly in hot, humid summertime weather. Leaves potentially measure 11 feet in length, with over half the leaf as blade.
  

  Insight

• Applying water-soluble fertilizer monthly in the warm months causes even faster leaf and trunk growth, as well as more basal suckering shoots. To limit plant size, withhold fertilizer and limit water to drastically slow the plant’s growth.