How to Water a Bird of Paradise

Bird of paradise plants are unique flowering plants that produce brilliant, colorful blooms and distinctive foliage. The blooms are valued among florists due to the distinctive bird-like shape of the flowers and the tall stalks. You can grow your own bird of paradise plants but, for the best success, you must attend properly to the plant’s watering needs.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

• Spade
• Garden hose or watering can
• Mulch

1. Dig a slightly concave area around the plant, using a spade, to form a basin-like area, as suggested by the University of Florida Extension. This will help contain water, allowing it to slowly seep down to the plant roots rather than pooling along the top of the ground.

2. Use your garden hose or a watering can to gently (so you don’t erode the soil by using too much water pressure) fill the basin around the plant with water.

3. Water bird of paradise daily, or as often as necessary to keep soil moist, during warm months. You can let soil dry out between watering, according to theflowerexpert.com, during the fall and winter, however.

Tips & Warnings

• Theflowerexpert.com suggests using a peat moss mulch around these plants–mulch helps keep moisture in the soil. The University of Florida Extension also recommends mulch, and includes pine needles, wood chips and gravel as potential mulch materials, but adds that you should leave 2 to 3 inches of space between the mulch and the stem so the stem doesn’t rot.

• According to the University of Florida Extension, over-watering or under-watering will cause bird of paradise leaves to turn yellow and possibly die. Keep soil moist but do not let the plant stand in water.