Here I am! Your own baby bird of paradise. I hope you will take good care of me. Put me somewhere indoors with lots of light and give me a little water every few days. I don’t like wet feet though!

After 2 weeks of pampering, it is time for a larger pot! Preferably a pot of 2

litres or more with holes for drainage underneath (so I don’t drown).

My leaves may be broad and strong, I don’t like frost. So please give me a nice warm spot in the windowsill. If you forget to water me it’s ok. I keep some stock in my thick roots. When my leaves curl up I’m really thirsty.

What you nurture will grow. I do my very best. Once I am twice the height

of my pot, it is time to give my roots a little more space.

I can stay indoors all year round, but in the summer I like to be outside in the full sun. Let me get used to the sun in partial shade for a week, so my leaves don’t burn. When I develop new leaves I get hungry and I will be very grateful for a little extra plant food.

​

I can handle drought well, but when it’s hot I drink a lot. Is winter around the corner? Then I would be very happy to come and stand inside again.

At a rate of about 5 leaves per year, I get slowly bigger and taller. Eventually I

can grow up to 2 meters high. Sometimes I make two leaves at once. That’s a good sign because then I suddenly have an extra growth point. And the more growing points, the more flowers I can make!

​

I will bloom for the first time aft er 3-5 years. In winter I then send up a flower

stem between my last few leaves. A sunny spot in summer makes it more likely that I will show off my flowers.