How to Maintain a Bird of Paradise After Frost Damage

Bird-of-paradise plants are elegant, with striking, crane-like flowers on long stems and large, elongated leaves. Gardeners in the mild USDA hardiness zones of 9-11, where temperatures rarely dip below 25 degrees, can easily grow the plant in landscapes or containers. Bird-of-paradise plants can tolerate brief temperature drops to 28 degrees without experiencing frost damage. But a longer duration of cold, or temperatures below 28 degrees, will cause frost damage and harm existing foliage. Fortunately, in most cases, your bird-of-paradise plant will recover, though flowers may be sparse the first year.

Pruners or loppers

Instructions

- 1
  Wait until the threat of frost has passed, plus one to two weeks. Frost damage does not always immediately appear on a bird-of-paradise plant. When warmer temperatures return, the total extent of the frost damage will become apparent.
- 2
  Cut off all frost damaged leaves and stems from the bird-of-paradise. Use sharp pruners or loppers to cut the dead and damaged stems and leaves as close to the base of the plant as possible.
- 3
  Watch for new growth to appear from the base of the bird-of-paradise plant. New leaf shoots should appear by the end of May. If no new growth is apparent by the end of May or beginning of June, the bird-of-paradise roots are probably damaged. You may wish to dig up and remove the dead base and roots and plant a new bird-of-paradise in its place.

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