Bird of Paradise flower?

Could well be a flower - fingers crossed eh?

Everything crossed Sheilar!
I had a false hope early this year - turned out to be the plant "splitting" (meaning that it now has two growth points).

How long do these take to flower (I mean how old is the plant)

Seven years from seed so far!

It's just that many years ago I worked with a lady who apparently had a conservatory full of these 'Bird of Paradise' plants and they seemed to be forever flowering. She was an elderly lady who lived on her own and her plants were her life. So maybe she gave them 100% of her attention. Or it could be she'd had them for donkeys years and so one of them at least would be in flower at any one time (hope this makes sense to you).

Golly you have a lot of patience Meanie ,fingers crossed for you that it is a flower ......

It's about the right sort of flowering time Meanie, and it doe's look the right shape and place so fingers crossed for you ..

It does look like it, Meanie. I've just got some with flower spikes ready to open... Do you know what colour it will be?

Meanie:

It's sure looks like it may be a flower spike. Give it as much sun as possible...it loves sun!

It can have whatever it's heart desires if it is a flower spike!!!!!!!

Lucky you, I hope it is a flower spike. Maybe mine will get jealous and give me a flower spike as well.

How old is yours Alex?
My Cymbidium orchids are just starting to "spike" too!

Alexandramou:

Do you have your plant in the ground?

If your plant is next to street lights or a porch light which is left on...it can prevent them from blooming well (it can experience photoperiodism).

Meanie,
I think my plant is about six years old. It's small for it's years because I forgot it in the back of the shop one winter. Cold and dark. Almost lost it.
I just bought my Cymbidium in the house a couple of days ago. There is new growth, not sure what a new sprike should look like yet. The roots have raised the plant up from the pot. I'm not sure if I should repot it now of after it blooms????

Delonix,
Call me crazy but I really like my Strelitzia as a house plant. I know they grow well here, I plant to put this plant in a huge pot on my top balcony. I might buy another one for the garden.
It was next to a window that had the porch light on but not every night. I think it's just a case of it needing a little more time. (I almost lost it two winters ago).

Mine is seven Alex, so next year............

Alexandramou:

Yes, you're crazy! lol! :>)

But seriously, Strelitzia reginae seldom makes a good house plant. It tends to have very elongated leaves, which are very sparse...and it doesn't bloom very well, if at all (as you noticed).

Suggestion: I would leave it outside until the flower spikes have formed, them bring it indoors.

Not an option here with the frosts looming!

Meanie:

Strelitzia reginae will tolerate more frost than you think. I've seen many growing up in Sacramento, CA. and they get their fair share of moderate frost.

Would it be a good idea to take out my Strelitzia now....the start of autumn after living in my house for the past 6 years???? Maybe I should wait until spring? Or....I can take it out when it's sunny and warm and bring it in for night??? Am I making my life harder here???

Could my flower (possibly) though?

Alexandramou:

If your Strlitzia reginae is growing indoors...you'll have to slowly adapt it to full sun. Typically, Strelitzia reginae likes the cooler evenings of Fall. Are Strelitzia reginae plants very widely grown, there? Like by the millions, like here?

Lol, no not like by the millions. But they are grown here with no problems. Just not a very common plant, probably because it looks exotic???
Next time I go into to town I will go take a picture.

Alexandramou:

That's surprising Strelitzia reginae isn't mass planted like here in CA. It's such a drought tolerant plant....this is the reason why it extensively used along freeways, medians, industrial complexes, and in the parks.

Here's a common sight here in San Diego.

http://www.growsonyou.com/photo/slideshow/180641-strelitzia-reginae-bird-of-paradise/member/Delonix1

Wow, they look beautiful. I might start some more from seed, they want 6euros for a small plant (they were selling it for 3euros spring time). I'm thinking maybe the white flowers now. Can plant them out in spring.

Can you divide your plant. That's how it's done here.

Have you ever seen the pure yellow flowering form of Strelitzia reginae growing there in Greece?

No, not here in Greece BUT it's on my "watch list" on e-bay.

I only occasionally see it available here, along with the variety juncea (which is more common...and I don't like). In Hawai'i the yellow one is pretty common.

S.juncea being the one with sword like leaves?

Yes, it has round sword-like leaves.

Here's one of my photos of one:

http://www.growsonyou.com/photo/slideshow/48456-strelizia-reginae-var-juncea-leafless-bird-of-paradise/member/Delonix1

How's your flower (?) doing, Meanie? Was it a flower after all? I'm very interested!!!

do tell Meanie...i got all excited in the spring but mine was just another leaf...

It is a flower!
It has grown another 50mm since this photo.

wow....more pics please...

Wow, Meanie. Congratulations!! I look forward to seeing the photo!! How exciting!!

Poor Sandra.. Mine has 3 fat stalks growing, which look like flowers. But maybe it's just my imagination/expectation..

the wait will be worth it when one of us gets a flower....Delonix must think we are mad....lol

Hahaha~ lol

Tommymoo - the flower stalks are very different to the leaves, so all should be clear soon! Also grow in a different spot to where the leaves emerge too.

Sandra - I've only had to wait seven years from seed to first flower! Perhaps we should send Delonix something like a Hellebore to put the boot on the other foot!!!

lol...hellebores would not like it in san diego...

Maybe some Hermodactylus and Erythronium too!
He's told me that he struggles with Tulips.........
Not that I'm envious or anything!!

I've read an article in the San Diego Union Tribune that Hellebores does grow here in San Diego, though be it, rare.
They're supposedly gaining popularity in English-style cottages (in shady areas only). I'm guessing the bulbs or tubers need to be chilled in a refrigerator.

You would almost have to grow them in there!

could start a new trend of freezer gardening...lol

Delonix probably goes pale at the thought of getting something out of the freezer Sandra!
Still not jealous of his climate..........

Meanie:

Now, that's not true! I love to put my head in the freezer when it's 95ºF/35ºC. in my house at 2:00 a.m. in summer. lol! (it's very true, though).

By the way, did your Bird-of-Paradise bloom?

Give it a chance!
It has grown about 70mm though.

Wow! That's slow! lol! I hate to tell how many flowers my plant has put on in the last couple of weeks, dozens. Typically, the flowers come up very quickly. Does your plant get enough sun?

It's dark here at 5.15pm Delonix, with dawn coming at about 7.15am. It's on the south end of my conservatory to maximise what daylight there is, but I guess it will just mark time now till February when the days get longer again.

it will do it when its ready Meanie..im loving these dark evenings...gives me chance to sit down and catch up on here.....

My thoughts exactly Sandra - I can't turn the sun on!
Be nice if it bloomed at christmas though............

i'm soo looking forward to the pics....but i can wait...lol

We're having shorter days also. Sunrise is at 7:08 a.m. and sunset is at: 5:56 p.m. However, with that being said, the sun is much higher in the sky during the day, than where you live (because of latitude).

This coming Sunday we change the clocks back...then it'll really be dark early. YUCK!!!

Most likely your plant will have blooms by Christmas...it must! :>)

I've waited seven years so a few weeks won't kill me! As long as it doesn't blast......

Seven years is a long long time!

Speaking of "long time", I waited 6 years for heliconia to flower. I was given a couple of rhizoms by a friend and smuggled them hidden in the suit case from Palau (in the Pacific Ocean). He said it would take 6 years until they flower and he was exactly right. I'm going to upload the photos for you. Please check them out if you are interested :-)

Looking forward to them!

Looking forward to seeing your bird of paradise too!

Wow! You guys sure have to wait a long time for your plants to bloom! :>)

My Heliconia schiedeana bloomed this year after almost 3 years of not blooming, due to our 7 year drought.

Good to know that you struggle as well sometimes!

Yes, very rarely, though. Although, I do have a dwarf Jamaican Heliconia which has never bloomed (I've had it for about 9 years). My guess is that it never receives enough fertilizer, as Heliconia species are extremely heavy feeders.

I think next year it's going to planted directly into steer or chicken manure. That will teach it! lol! :>)

Kill or cure?!

Meanie:

Heliconia species are considered pigs! They have such an extremely high tolerance and need for nitrogen fertilizer. I've actually done this in the past and have added chelated fertilizer in the steer manure. The Heliconias love it!

I'd love to grow one sometime.

Meanie:

There's several dwarf Heliconia species...although, not sure how available they are for you in the U.K.

The only ones that I saw were about £16!

Where they large ones?

Nope! about 30cm high. I can't remember the species, but it was an attractive plant.

Wow! That's a real dwarf! lol! :>)

It was most likely Heliconia psittacorum or stricta...I know these are the most commonly sold dwarf Heliconia species here.

Looked rather like a H.psittacorum..........
Thanks for helping with that.

For some reason H. psittacorum tends to be the most available dwarf.