WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Strelitzia nicolai (shade in desert), WUCOLS IV

How often to water giant bird of paradise in California

In July on the north-central coast, established giant bird of paradise in loam needs a deep watering about every 13 days: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across, about 4.6 gallons a week. Giant bird of paradise is a treelike evergreen that forms dense clumps of woody stems up to 20 to 30 feet tall. Long, leathery, gray-green leaves like a banana's fan out at the tips. White and blue flowers burst from dark beaked bracts through the year, most in spring and summer. It is moderately drought tolerant once settled but grows fullest with regular water.

ShrubRated for 4 of 6 zones

How often to water giant bird of paradise, month by month

Your city
Plant width
4 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for giant bird of paradise and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1.5 feet of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area the plant covers, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure plant width

A shrub with its width marked from one side to the other and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the plant, from the tips of the leaves on one side to the tips on the other.

Water the whole area the plant covers, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that area.

A wider plant means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While it is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil gone dry 3 inches below the surface at the clump's edge in summer means the giant bird of paradise is ready for water
  • Leaf blades folding lengthwise and holding that fold through the morning can indicate thirst
  • Older leaves browning from the edges inward during a hot, dry spell can follow a dry root zone
  • Yellowing leaves with soft, dark stem bases over soggy soil point to overwatering or poor drainage
  • Leaves split into ribbons are usually wind damage, not a water problem

How to water it

  • Water around the whole clump with drip or a slow soaker, not only at one stem
  • Soak about 18 inches down, then wait until the upper few inches have dried
  • Plant in full sun on the coast and give afternoon shade in the low desert
  • Mulch the root zone to slow drying, keeping mulch off the woody stem bases
  • Extend emitters outward as new stems rise around the clump's edge

Through the seasons

Water a new giant bird of paradise regularly through its first summer while roots spread out from the clump. Established plants handle short dry spells but look best with deep, regular soaks in the warm months. It stays evergreen and can flower through the year. It is cold hardy only to about 28 degrees F, so frost is the main winter risk. Along the coast, winter storms normally keep its soil moist. In the low desert and South Inland, and along both the south coast and north-central coast, WUCOLS gives it a moderate water rating. The Central Valley and the high desert are another story: WUCOLS marks it as not suited to either.

In pots

Giant bird of paradise makes a large potted specimen for patios and pool decks, but it needs a heavy, wide container to stay upright. Push a finger into the mix; once the top 2 inches feel dry, give it a full soak. In summer heat that can happen within a few days. Let the excess drain off and do not leave the pot in a full saucer. Remove torn leaves at the base to keep the clump tidy. Before frost, slide the pot under an eave or into a garage.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
Not ratedWUCOLS does not rate Giant Bird of Paradise for the Central Valley zone
A year
no figure
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses

WUCOLS lists Giant Bird of Paradise as not suited to this region for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Giant Bird of Paradise: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.37–0.780.78–0.78
Feb0.53–0.810.87–0.93
Mar0.87–1.151.3–1.52
Apr1.18–1.41.61–1.95
May1.46–1.611.95–2.45
Jun1.61–1.742.29–2.79
Jul1.61–1.982.51–2.85
Aug1.49–1.862.33–2.6
Sep1.24–1.491.86–2.08
Oct0.87–1.151.33–1.49
Nov0.47–0.840.9–0.96
Dec0.31–0.650.68–0.68
Year12–15.518.41–21.08

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 16

Rated not suited to this region in the Central Valley, like giant bird of paradise. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Chenille PlantAcalypha hispidanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCopperleafAcalypha wilkesiananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingYellow Bell BauhiniaBauhinia tomentosanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMagic FlowerCantua buxifolianot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingClustered Fishtail PalmCaryota mitisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingHawaiian TiCordyline fruticosa (Cordyline terminalis)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingFilbertCorylus maximanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPoinsettiaEuphorbia pulcherrimanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingWeeping Chinese BanyanFicus benjaminanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingRubber PlantFicus elasticanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingFranklin TreeFranklinia alatamaha (Gordonia alatamaha)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingJungle GeraniumIxora coccineanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingOrange JessamineMurraya paniculatanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCommon GuavaPsidium guajavanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingOrgan Pipe CactusStenocereus thurberi (Lemaireocereus thurberi)not rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingMarmalade BushStreptosolen jamesoniinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes giant bird of paradise, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water giant bird of paradise in summer?

In July, established giant bird of paradise in loam needs a deep watering about every 11 days on the south coast and about every 9 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does giant bird of paradise need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established giant bird of paradise needs about 0.7 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 2.6 gallons a day for a plant 8 feet across. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for giant bird of paradise change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates giant bird of paradise separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not suited to this region in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, not suited to this region in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, moderate water in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Why are my giant bird of paradise leaves splitting?

Wind tears the big leaf blades along their veins, especially near the coast. It is normal and does not mean the plant needs water. Plant it in a spot sheltered from strong wind if you want whole leaves.

How big does giant bird of paradise get?

It can form clumps 20 to 30 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet wide. Leaves can reach 5 to 6 feet long. Give it room away from eaves and walkways.

Can giant bird of paradise take frost?

It is hardy only to about 28 degrees F. Plant it in a warm spot against a building or protect it on cold nights. Keep the soil on the dry side in winter.

Is giant bird of paradise good near the beach?

Yes, it grows wild in coastal dune vegetation and withstands salty winds. Those winds do shred the leaves. A spot behind a building or hedge keeps it looking better.

Can I grow giant bird of paradise in the desert?

In the low desert, give it shade from the afternoon sun. Check the soil more often there in summer. Protect it from frost on clear winter nights.

More plant watering guides

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Sources