WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Strelitzia reginae var juncea, WUCOLS IV

How often to water narrow-leafed bird of paradise in California

In July in the Central Valley, established narrow-leafed bird of paradise in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days: about 8.8 gallons each time for a plant 4 feet across, about 7.6 gallons a week. Narrow-leafed bird of paradise forms a slowly widening clump of rush-like, bluish green stalks up to 6 feet tall, mostly without leaf blades. From late fall into spring, orange and blue flowers emerge one at a time from a beak-like, pink-tinged sheath. It grows from thick, succulent rhizomes and wants well-drained soil with deep, well-spaced soakings.

ShrubRated for 5 of 6 zones

How often to water narrow-leafed 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 narrow-leafed 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 dry 3 to 4 inches down around the clump signals that narrow-leafed bird of paradise is ready for a deep soak
  • Stalks turning dull and new growth stalling in a long, hot dry spell can indicate the rhizomes need water
  • Stalks yellowing and softening at the base over wet soil can indicate rhizome rot from overwatering
  • Buds and flowers browned after a freeze reflect cold damage rather than a watering problem
  • A clump that widens only slowly is normal for this plant and not a sign that it wants more water

How to water it

  • Water around the base of the clump, soaking the rhizome zone rather than wetting the stalks
  • Wet the soil about a foot deep, then let the top few inches dry before watering again
  • Plant in full sun or part shade in well-drained soil, raising the bed where clay stays wet
  • Keep the clump back from paths, since the rigid, pointed stalks can injure eyes
  • Widen the watered area slowly as the clump spreads outward

Through the seasons

Keep a new clump evenly moist until it roots in, then shift to deeper, less frequent soakings. Because flowers rise from late fall into spring, check the soil through dry winter spells as well as in summer. The plant survives short freezes to about 24 degrees F, though buds and flowers can be damaged. WUCOLS rates narrow-leafed bird of paradise low water on the south coast and in South Inland. It rates moderate water on the north-central coast, in the Central Valley and in the low desert. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the high desert.

In pots

Narrow-leafed bird of paradise makes a striking specimen in a large pot. Use a heavy container with drainage holes and a gritty, well-drained mix to protect the fleshy rhizomes. In summer heat, check the mix 2 inches down every few days and water when it is dry there. Water until it drains, then empty the saucer. Set the pot where people will not brush against the stiff stalks. In winter, water sparingly and shelter the pot on freezing nights to protect the flower buds.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
2.67gal per sq ft in JulyModerate water use in the Central Valley zone
A year
17.11 gal per sq ft
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses
0.711.42.12.90.4JAN0.65FEB1.09MAR1.52APR2.08MAY2.48JUN2.67JUL2.39AUG1.8SEP1.18OCT0.56NOV0.34DEC0.711.42.12.90.4JFM1.52AMJ2.67JAS1.18OND
Gallons per square foot per month, Central Valley. Peak 2.67 in Jul, 17.11 a year.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Narrow-Leafed Bird of Paradise: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.370.40.310.31–0.78
Feb0.530.650.320.35–0.93
Mar0.871.090.460.52–1.52
Apr1.181.520.560.64–1.95
May1.462.080.640.78–2.45
Jun1.612.480.690.92–2.79
Jul1.612.670.791–2.85
Aug1.492.390.740.93–2.6
Sep1.241.80.60.74–2.08
Oct0.871.180.460.53–1.49
Nov0.470.560.330.36–0.96
Dec0.310.340.260.27–0.68
Year1217.116.27.37–21.08

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 moderate water in the Central Valley, like narrow-leafed bird of paradise. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

RosesRosa hybrids..bushmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyAzaleasRhododendron spp. (CA native and non-native spp.)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyCamelliasCamellia japonica (SHADE IN DESERT)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyGardeniasGardenia spp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBird of ParadiseStrelitzia reginae (shade in desert)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyHibiscusHibiscus rosa-sinensismoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySago PalmCycas revolutamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyStar JasmineTrachelospermum jasminoides and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyArborvitaeThuja occidentalis ssp. & cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyBambooBambusa spp.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyLilacsSyringa hybrids (including Descanso hybrids)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySpireaSpiraea spp. (CA native and non native spp.)moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyButterfly BushBuddleja davidii and hybridsmoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulySageSalvia officinalis and cvs.moderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyRed BuckeyeAesculus paviamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in JulyWestern ServiceberryAmelanchier alnifoliamoderate water, Central Valley2.67 gal/sq ft in July

Similar plants that need less water 16

Rated lower than narrow-leafed bird of paradise in the Central Valley. Worth a look for a new bed or a lawn replacement.

LavenderLavandula spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRosemaryRosmarinus officinalislow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBougainvilleaBougainvillea & spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyOlive TreesOlea europaea ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCrape MyrtleLagerstroemia spp., hybrids & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyLantanaLantana camara ssp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySalviaSalvia greggii ssp., cvs. & hybridslow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyAloeAloe spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySucculentsEcheveria spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyJunipersJuniperus spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyRussian SagePerovskia spp. & cvs.low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySagebrushArtemisia spp. (shrubby)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyWild PrivetLigustrum vulgarelow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyCoralberrySymphoricarpos orbiculatus (SHADE)low water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulySydney Golden WattleAcacia longifolialow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in JulyBlue Leaf WattleAcacia salignalow water, Central Valley1.07 gal/sq ft in July
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes narrow-leafed 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 narrow-leafed bird of paradise in summer?

In July, established narrow-leafed bird of paradise in loam needs a deep watering about every 8 days in the Central Valley, about every 27 days on the south coast and about every 22 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 narrow-leafed bird of paradise need per day?

In July in the Central Valley, established narrow-leafed bird of paradise needs about 1.1 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across and about 4.3 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 narrow-leafed bird of paradise change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates narrow-leafed bird of paradise separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, moderate water in the Central Valley zone, low water in the South Coastal zone, low water in the South Inland zone, not evaluated 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 does my bird of paradise have no leaves?

This species has leafless stalks: the rush-like stems are leaf stalks without the broad blade seen on the common bird of paradise. That look is normal. Judge water by the soil, not by the stalks.

When does narrow-leafed bird of paradise bloom?

Flowers appear from late fall through spring. Each sheath holds several flowers that open one at a time, and each lasts about a week. Cut flowers can last up to two weeks in a vase.

Is narrow-leafed bird of paradise drought tolerant?

It grows wild among succulents in South Africa, and WUCOLS rates it low water in South Inland and on the south coast. In its other rated zones it rates moderate water. Give it deeper summer soaks there.

Can you overwater narrow-leafed bird of paradise?

Yes. Its thick rhizomes can rot in soggy soil. Plant it in well-drained ground and let the top few inches dry between soakings.

Is narrow-leafed bird of paradise safe near paths?

Its stalks are rigid and pointed and radiate outward, so they can be an eye hazard. Place it back from walkways and play areas. Take care when cutting flowers.

More plant watering guides

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Sources