How to Prune a Bird of Paradise

The bird of paradise is an exotic houseplant that is a native of South Africa. Known for its vibrantly beautifully, spiky flowers, is also poisonous if it is ingested. One of the most important parts of caring for this plant is pruning to ensure that it thrives in its environment and yields its well-known flowers. Different colors of this plant require different types of pruning.

Things You'll Need

• Scissors

Instructions

1. Remove all faded blooms and flowers of the strelizia bird of paradise in the spring. During dormant periods (summer and early fall months) you may be required to cut back almost half of the branches of the strelizia. Determine whether or not this is necessary by looking for any dead areas of the plant and cutting them back.

2. Cut back the red bird of paradise to approximately 6 to 12 inches from the top of the soil during the dwindling months of winter or early months of spring. If the bird of paradise has grown considerably beyond this size, it may require another pruning during midsummer.

3. Cut away the dead flowers of the Mexican bird of paradise in the later winter or early spring. This variety does not require a lot of pruning to thrive. If the stems appear to have grown past the taller branches, cut them back to half their length.

4. Prune the yellow bird of paradise in the later winter months or early spring by cutting away old blooms. This variety requires very little pruning.

References

• Pruning Birds of Paradise
• Bird of Paradise Plant