While there are many tropical plants to be grown a long way from the tropics, few command the attention of the Bird-of-Paradise, sometimes called crane’s bill, but more properly strelitzia. Horticulturally, the plant is a member of the banana family. Properly cared for, the plant could flower two or three times during the year, showcasing exotic flowers very much like a tropical bird with spectacular plumage on stalks rising almost three-to-five feet tall. If you have oceans of time and you’re not impatient when it comes to unbelievable flowers, then Bird-of-Paradise makes a perfect choice.

Native to South Africa, the plant is traditionally grown in plastic pots, even in the Florida Keys and Southern California where homeowners enjoy the luxury of growing two plants in single urns or containers. The plant thrives in full sun year-round, indoors and out, and will tolerate temperatures dropping to the upper 40’s during the winter. On occasion, winter temperatures in Miami, Tampa and St. Petersburg don’t fall below 40, in which case Bird-of-Paradise survives outdoors.

If you’ve been fortunate to find a Strelitzia at a nursery, count your blessings because this is a rare plant to be found beyond Florida and California. Some mail-order nurseries routinely list the plant for cross-country shipping.

Here are some thumbnail pointers on growing Bird-of-Paradise:

Location. At all times of year, provide maximum sunlight. A few weeks after setting out tomato plants, move your potted Strelitzia outdoors in full sun. This will create problems insofar as soil moisture is concerned, but sunlight is the priority if you want spectacular flowers. In the fall, keep a close check on overnight temperatures. When forecasts indicate early morning temperatures will fall below 50 degrees, move the plant indoors up close to a south-facing window. Bird-of-Paradise should overwinter where there will be four-to-six hours sunlight, otherwise placed below grow lights illuminated for 16 hours everyday.

In a greenhouse environment, Bird-of-Paradise will perform spectacularly as long as you provide heat to 50 degrees (10 celsius) and vent the roofs in summer.

Water. Keep the soil lightly moist year-round. Indoors, get in the habit of resting a finger atop the soil every two or three days to check moisture. Always check soil in the morning, not at any other time. Simply resting a finger on the soil is enough. When you sense the soil starting to dry, add tepid water the same morning. Let the pot or container drain fully, then return the plant to its sunny location. Over the winter, it’s not unusual to be watering every four or five days.

Since you will summer the plant outdoors in full sun, special attention needs to be made for regular watering. Immediately after moving the plant outdoors, make it your morning ritual to check the moisture level of the soil. Where temperatures are generally above 90 degrees, you could be watering every morning, but only if you check the soil and it seems to be drying out. In the Florida Keys, Bird-of-Paradise might well need watering in the morning and again in early evening.

In all cases, don’t overwater. It’s the kiss of death for Strelitzia.

Fertilizer. You can go to extremes energizing Strelitzia, but it’s probably counter-productive for the plant. Slow-release granular fertilizers with a 3-1-2 ratio may be used once every 8-12 weeks, otherwise water-soluble plant foods in place of water every second or third week. Keep a record of when you energize, also the product. Omit fertilizers over the late fall and winter unless you live in the Florida Keys. Some mail-order nurseries promote special fertilizers for the plants they merchandise.

Soil. Since Bird-of-Paradise performs better when potbound, you may not have to repot all that often. If repotting is called for, you’ll know for sure in the spring (March-April) when you check for roots exiting drainage holes. Let the soil go a little dry, turn the pot on its side to see if roots are escaping through the drainage holes. If roots are seen, repot as soon as possible, using a plastic pot two inches wider than the old one. Fall repotting may be OK, but only with plants in the Florida Keys. If no roots are found, add fresh soil at the top of the plant.

Only a few commercial potting soils should be used. Strongly recommended is Pro-Mix Potting and Seeding Mix available in 6, 16 and 32-quart packages. Draw off enough soil to repot or to top-off the pot without changing the soil. To a plastic dishpan in the kitchen sink, add enough soil, followed by hot water. Swish the soil around so everything wets down, then spoon the soil onto sheets of newspaper on the kitchen counter to surface dry for a few minutes. Repot, but remember to prune some of the roots away in the process of dislodging old soil around the rootball. Water thoroughly as you add fresh soil to the new pot.

Commercial growers of tropical plants rely on additional products to increase the performance of Strelitzia. Calcium must be available to the plant at all times, so it is in your best interests to topdress with pulverized limestone two or three times a year. Commercial growers use calcium nitrate or chelated calcium through the growing season, but gardeners don’t have access to the materials.

Over the summer, beware of new foliage turning yellow on young, immature plants. You can prevent this by drenching pots with chelated iron in early May, mid-July and September.