h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

can any one suggest how I can get mine to flower.
I bought a packet of 6 seeds and planted them. Out of the 6,- 1 of them grew, I've looked after it and repotted it as it grew.
That was about 5 years ago now but it still has not flowered.
has anyone any suggestions?

Strelizias need a lot of love and attention to flower. They need warm, humid atmospheres so never let them get cold or too dry. Try misting with water and keeping them somewhere where you dry your laundry! They will also not flower if your plant is too clumpy, they do divide but prefer to be grown as individual plants so you may have to separate them.

Apart from that, it is real trial and error! I have about 10 in the garden (in Cyprus so not snowy like the UK!) and some have flowered every year and some have never flowered. I got the bird of paradise bug in Madeira which has a very temperate, but humid atmosphere and grows well there so the best you can do is recreate that scenario and hope!

Thanks for the information Deakie,
I will try to follow your advice and keep my fingers crossed

Just came across this question - I live part time on one of the Canary Islands, Lanzarote. The roadsides are planted with bird of paradise, in very harsh conditions, and they flower and flower. So I can't think that they must need misting, as the climate is very arid there. Perhaps they need to mature a bit more, and also some full on sunshine

Lanzababy

If you are growing it in a pot, the roots need to be potbound. Keep it in a pot that seems too small. Don't repot it. Ours is now in a 15 inch pot.

It's now about 6 - 7 years old. Last year I also gave it a good talking to and told it that it was the compost heap if it didn't flower. Amazingly it did. And it's just out in flower right now.

Deke

I think with some plants, and from experiance too, that its often necessary to ensure they're not overly cumfetable in their lifestyle; They need stressing out to freak them into flowering; AFterall for many plants flower is the last ditch attempt they'll adopt when they think they're about to be evicted to the graveyard of the compost heap Restricting the roots, etc., might be e-nuff to stress it out... (though I'm not famuliar with this particular plant per sai )

I would agree with both of you, the botanic explanation is that if a plant thinks its end is nigh it will set seed for the subsequent generation, and for seed the plant needs to flower. Also, the conditions in Lanzarote road sides are particularly harsh, so I'd probably not lavish too much nitrogenous fertiliser on it. Maybe a bit of tomato feed if any buds do develop.

L

Did you know that In San Diego CA. the bird of paradise are so numerous that some people want to get rid of them as weed! W

...exactly...There is a huge clump of the things in my front garden, spreading all over the place. The postman complains that they try to peck at him when he delivers the mail...

so, move to bloody florida, and grow mango, pineapple and starfruit as well.

alec.