Flowering Bird of Paradise

[Bert Speggly]

I have noticed some Birds of Paradise (Bird of Paradises?) that are located very near to me  are flowering very nicely in late November. Mine are not flowering at all, they usually do in May. How is this possible? I'm in San Fernando Valley, California.

Thanks!

Edited November 26, 2024 by Bert Speggly
typo

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, Bert Speggly said:

I have noticed some Birds of Paradise (Bird of Paradises?) that are located very near to me  are flowering very nicely in late November. Mine are not flowering at all, they usually do in May. How is this possible? I'm in San Fernando Valley, California.

Thanks!

Bird of Paradise.   No  " -es / -ses " attached.  ...or more correctly,  Strelitzia reginae..  

...Unless you're talking about the  other  plant often referred to as  " Bird of Paradise ",  Caesalpinia pulcherrima,  AKA: Red / Orange / Yellow BOP ....Which aren't at all related to Strelitzia, the real deal BOP.


Any # of factors can influence flowering....  Specimens you saw flowering could be planted in an spot that provides an advantage, ..Say a south or southwest facing area where they get more sun / heat to help stimulate flowering this late into the year... 

Age could be another factor too, ...bigger / older  plants can bloom more / longer than younger - aged specimens...

If yours are around the same age / size, then perhaps ...

Yours might need a little kick -nutrient-wise.. to get em' going.. Like Bananas, Gingers/ Heliconia, Cannas ..etc Bird of Paradise relatives, these always appreciate a good dose of K ( Potassium ) 2 or 3X's a year..

Grandparent's plants were given nothing but fish guts ..and rice water ..and whatever runoff from the roof soaked them during the winter.  ..Bloomed like mad almost all year for decades..

[Bert Speggly]

Thanks for all that good info.  The picture with just with one plant is the one I have. it is certainly not in an ideal spot, and maybe is crowded in the pot, but I don't really want it to get any bigger, unless I move it.  The other picture shows the ones I saw locally, which are in a better place regarding sun (south-facing) and are planted in the ground. They do look very healthy. I see the leaves are much darker. Can you say which plant is which species? Thanks again.

[Silas_Sancona]

4 hours ago, Bert Speggly said:

Thanks for all that good info.  The picture with just with one plant is the one I have. it is certainly not in an ideal spot, and maybe is crowded in the pot, but I don't really want it to get any bigger, unless I move it.  The other picture shows the ones I saw locally, which are in a better place regarding sun (south-facing) and are planted in the ground. They do look very healthy. I see the leaves are much darker. Can you say which plant is which species? Thanks again.

Looks like a regular ol' Orange Bird ( = Strelitzia reginae ), though a bit stretched out / searching for more sun compared to the planted specimens..  White Birds, S. nicolai would have much broader leaves,  and the ..near leafless.. BOP, S. juncea is unmistakable in appearance.  There are a couple others but those 2 sps are the only other Strelitzia sps  regularly seen in cultivation.

Would definitely fill out more / flower more reliably  in the ground, but have seen them flower in pots also, so ..

Maybe, if possible, it might be time to step into a bigger pot  ...that or find  a spot where you can keep it penned in a bit,  in the ground.

[Bert Speggly]

Thanks for all your help. Your expertise is much appreciated.

Bert