Hi y’all! I got this White Birds of Paradise from Marketplace a while back and need some help figuring out if it’s done for. TL;DR: I gave my plants to my MIL to take care of while I did full-time travel for 2 years. Needless to say, she didn’t do the best job taking care of this baby. It’s green still so 85 makes me think it could be saved, any advice here welcome!
Oh my god this would infuriate me. I’m sorry to say but in my opinion the plant has no leaves/unfurling leaves so it doesn’t really have a way to photosynthesize. Meaning it’s pretty much dead. You could leave it for a bit longer to see if maybe one leaf comes out but I highly doubt it cause the plant has no way to receive energy from the sun.
1 likeI’ve been thinking about it - it seems there is some new growth!! I’m hoping it can come back, but needlessly to say I was pretty annoyed
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I think as long as it's been and the roots look healthy it can come back with some TLC. No harm in just waiting it out and making sure it's getting at least some nutrients to welcome it back. If anything new shoots would come from the rhizomes, not the existing stems, but the stems can still photosynthesize a bit. Cut it down a bit so it's not spending too effort up top. My best guess as to how to revive it!
6 likesWhere would I cut it down?
0 likes It's subjective. I tend to hack my plants down to a few inches if they don't grow like I like them, but taller plants I leave a bit more for photosynthesis to potentially take place in the stems. There's no harm if you've given up on the plant - I ignored a zz plant for months (too lazy to toss it) and for some reason a new shoot popped up from the rhizomes. I also left a succulent cutting parked in some dirt for more than a year at the office where nobody took care of it, and one day it started sprouting. Nature is amazing and resilient!
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I have tried many in the house and absolutely all have died. I have no patience to wait a year to see a maybe. I live in Florida and they do great outside in the ground.
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So I was at my wits end with my BoP. This thing had leaves longer than 15ft, and then with the droop, it was like 25ft wide. I tried to give it away but nobody was willing to rent a U-Haul truck to take it. So I figured for the time being I’d just cut it down and then eventually throw the bottom away. Cut 8 leaves and left the stems about 6ft tall. Now it has grown a new leaf and a pup. This plant doesn’t want me to throw it away… sorry for the rant. Your plant will recover.
Hahahaha this makes me feel SO much better!
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Bro what did she DO to that thing 💀
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That’s what I’m wondering. Did she mistake the watering can with the scissors?!?
1 likeDon’t even get me started - I explained why this one was so important to me and she… just didn’t care
2 likes Oh my 💔
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Mr. variegated actually knows from experience. That would’ve been my guess too. Because true the leaves photosynthesize, but plants always come back after winter, and there are no leaves to photosynthesis when they come back from the ground. I would definitely think that while those stems are so green, there’s hope for it to come back.
2 likesFingers crossed, I’m going to wait it out a bit. I’m seeing a bit of new growth already!!
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