Bird of paradise, bougainvillea need extra care to grow in ABQ

Q: I am so jealous! I visited my sister at her home in Phoenix recently. On the patio in her backyard she has several hanging bougainvillea and then ringing the patio slab she has several biggish pots that have bird of paradise growing in them. The “real” bird of paradise, not the shrubby smallish tree, Mexican bird of paradise, that grows here. She told me that these plants won’t grow here in the Albuquerque area. Is she correct, and I can’t have them for my patio? — N.N., Albuquerque

A: Like you, I was completely agog the first time I saw “real” bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae) growing in pots. We’d flown to Phoenix and the bird of paradise filled large concrete planters there at the airport. They are a visual marvel.

Now, everything I’ve learned about them suggests they are going to be a lot of work if you aim to have a few pots of them on your patio here in the Metro. I’m suggesting that the pots you plant with them be brought in every early autumn, as bird of paradise do not like temperatures lower than 29 to 30 degrees. They might not be killed outright with temperatures that cold, but they will be a long time coming back after being subjected to really cold temperatures, especially for an extended period of time. So you’ll want to have the planters indoors before any hint of chilly weather.

If the pots you are choosing are big, and in turn heavy, would you be able to move them? Do you have room to keep them indoors for months at a time? Think about it before investing in these marvels. Outdoors, I believe that they would grow best here if offered a bit of shade as our summers go on. It seems they bloom with cooler heat than hot heat. Who knew?

Know that they perform best being fertilized often during the growing season. If you are successful growing the bird of paradise, know they like to be crowded in their pots. A single plant in a pot doesn’t sound like a happy bird to me.

Now, the bougainvillea. Yes, you can have them grace your patio in either patio pots or hanging baskets. But a lot like the bird of paradise, they also have to come in for the winter in these parts. You should aim to set them out in their pots or baskets in the sun as early after the last frost as you can to offer a long growing/blooming season.

Fertilize them in the spring and in the summer with a good blooming fertilizer, and be sure to water consistently while they are growing fast. In other words, don’t let them dry out.

By late summer it’s recommended to ease off on the watering a little and that should offer a kick in the pants to grow a last good hurrah before the seasons change.

So perhaps your sister is just watching out for you, as both of these plants do insist upon a bit more than average care. But yes, you can have them both grow here as long as you’re committed to their care.

Happy Diggin’ In!

Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Digging In, Albuquerque Journal, 7777 Jefferson St. NE, Albuquerque, N.M. 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.