How to Trim a Bird of Paradise
Bird of paradise plants are an easy-to-care-for tropical addition to backyard landscaping. With the right watering and fertilizing schedule, some species can grow to be full, lush shrubs. They do not require regular pruning or trimming to stay healthy. In fact, too much pruning can prevent the plant from blooming. You may, however, find that you need to remove some dead flowers or leaves to keep your bird of paradise from getting too big. You can also cut some flowers to enjoy in the house. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Remove dead flowers and leaves with the clippers on an as-needed basis. These should be clipped off at the base. Without trimming, these stalks will stay on the plant; they do not break or fall off on their own.
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Trim the leaves around the outside of the plant to reduce the size of the bird of paradise. Cut as close to the base as you can. This step can be done if your plant is growing too large and you want to contain it somewhat.
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Cut the stalks of the flowers to put into a vase. Remove as much of the stalk from the plant as you can. Then trim the stalk to the length you want.
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Tips & Warnings
There are several species that are referred to as a bird of paradise, including the juncea bird of paradise. These instructions are for the Strelitzia reginae species -- the most commonly known as simple "bird of paradise."
Cut bird of paradise flowers can last up to two weeks with every-other-day water changes. Trim a little bit off of the stalk with each water change.
