Bird of Paradise Drooping Leaves (Reasons and Solution to Fix Them)

Why does my Bird of Paradise start dropping leaves when I water them, and if I stop watering, it causes root rot too. I was so frustrated looking at them and wondering how to fix it.

I didn’t waste time assuming the Bird of Paradise would recover on its own. After noticing the leaves dropping, I delved into understanding how to fix them and learning the main reasons behind it.

To help you out, I have explained the main reasons behind Bird of Paradise drooping leaves. So, let’s learn these reasons without further struggling to fix them.

Quick takeaways:

• There is no need to panic because bird of paradise drooping leaves are easy to fix. 
• The first step you have to take is to find out the cause of bird of paradise drooping leaves.
• The main common cause of birds of paradise dropping leaves is underwatering and when you find the soil is bone dry, you need to water the plant deeply and thoroughly.
• The plant leaves collapse due to their own wrought or start to droop because of light, humidity, disease, pest, or temperature stress. 

Understanding Droopy Leaves:

Before getting to the reasons and solution for the bird of paradise drooping leaves let’s understand some signs after which you can decide the reason and solution accordingly. 

Signs of Droopy Leaves:

• The leaves of a bird of paradise drooping will be a real buzzkill. 
• Drooping leaves is like a bad hair day for the plant.
• The leaves will start to hang low and will start to lose their perky posture. 
• The drooping leaves will start to curl, wilt, or turn yellow. 
• If the plant is in severe condition then you will see browning or leaf dropping. 
• All these signs will be like the plant is crying out for help and it’s your way how to treat them.

Impact on Plant Health and Aesthetics:

• Having droopy leaves is not just an eyesore but a red flag that there is something wrong going on.
• The bird of paradise drooping leaves are a sign of underwatering, overwatering, poor light conditions, temperature stress, or even disease. 
• The plant showing these symptoms is like a plant sending SOS emergency signals and it depends on you to crack the code as early as possible. 
• When a Bird of Paradise plant has droopy leaves looks like a peacock with ruffled feathers.

Reasons for Bird of Paradise Dropping

Here are some common reasons behind birds of paradise drooping and solutions to fix them according to the reason:

Underwatering:

• The bird of paradise is a tropical native that’s why they thrive in soil that is consistently moist but not wet. 
• In case of leaves of a bird of paradise droop, make sure the plant is not underwatered for that make sure to check the soil that isn’t completely dry. 
• The potting mix is bone dry in which leaves go limp and start drooping in which the leaves will start to get brown from the tips and edges. 
• After some time the leaves will become dry, crispy, and start wilting, mainly to the older and lower foliage. 
• To check the plant is dealing with underwatering you need to use your finger and if the top one to two inches of soil feel dry it means the plant needs water to drink.

Solution:

• When the soil is completely dry, the best way is to soak the bird of paradise in water.
• To save the plant Remove the saucer and put your bird of paradise in the bathtub or sink, where fill the basin up until the water reaches three to four inches deep.
• Water will help the soil to saturate through drainage holes in which the bird of paradise soaks water for no less than 45 minutes. 
• Just stop soaking when you find the top 1-2 inches get evenly moist which you can speed up by watering lightly from the top.
• If the soil gets uniformly moist make the basin drain out which ensures the plant drains excess water thoroughly. After which replace the saucer and move it back to the old spot. 

Overwatering:

The birds of paradise don’t like to grow in wet soil thus overwatering leading cause of root rot in the birds of paradise plants. The plant soil with too much moisture or sogginess will choke off the roots causing them to die as the plant requires oxygen to breathe and to grow healthy. 

The bird of paradise showing drooping and wilting leaves shows a sign of root rot below the soil and after digging the plant soil it will be rusty brown or black, with soft, and soggy roots.

Here are other signs showing the bird of paradise is overwatered:

• The plant leaves will turn yellow, which includes both new and old.
• The leaves of the plant will develop brown, water-soaked spots rounded by a yellow halo is a clear indication of having a bacterial infection due to excessive damp conditions. 
• The leaves start to wilt and have droopy leaves.
• The bird of paradise will have stunted or distorted growth.

Solution:

1. The first step is to stop watering the bird of paradise and check out for any root rot conditions.
2. When the root looks okay then make the soil to get dry out before the nest irrigation. After which you can move the plant to a brighter spot and improve aeration to accelerate moisture loss. 

Having the signs of root rot then you need to have a drastic solution:

1. Gently wash the soil off the roots in the shower so that it does the least damage to the root system.
2. Make sure to trim away all the affected roots.
3. It’s a hardy plant for which you need to find a good number of healthy roots. 
4. If the roots look white and feel firm and bouncy, dip them in a fungicide.
5. At last, ensure to repot the plant using fresh soil with hydronic peroxide in it.

Loss of Turgor Pressure:

• When the plant does not have turgor pressure it helps birds of paradise to maintain its elegant shape and stability. 
• Turgor pressure is a force between the cell wall and cell membrane that gives non-woody parts like the foliage of the plant its firmness.
• The plant having loss of turgor pressure will cause leaves to curl, wilt, and droop.
• Basically happens often when the plant uses more water than its absorbance amount through its root.
• The major cause is underwatering but root rot sunburns, overwatering, and low humidity are also responsible for loss of turgor pressure.

Solution:

1. When the main culprit is underwatering then it can bounce back to like when you water it correctly. 
2. Ensure to use the proper watering technique in which you look out for water dripping out of the drainage hole and then dump out the excess of water.
3. Here there is no need to wait for the potting medium to get completely dry so water the bird of paradise when you find two inches of topsoil is feeling dry.

Over-Temperature and Extreme Cold:

• The plant dealing with both extreme heat and cold temperatures will cause the bird of paradise drooping leaves. 
• Over temperature and hot draft will drain out moisture from the foliage more quickly than a plant absorbing water. Resulting in loss of turgor pressure and tissue damage.
• Don’t allow the temperature around the bird of paradise to fall below 65°F (18°C), and maintain it during the night.
• When the temperature falls, the bird of paradise’s foliage will start drooping and collapse at the end. This mistake you can’t afford leads to the death of the plant.
• The plant dealing with cold drafts and frostbites will cause tissue damage that will destroy cell walls. 
• Causing tissue damage will cause the leaves to wilt, droop, and fall off. 

Solution:

1. The bird of paradise loves to grow in warmer environments so provide the plant with night temps of 50-55°F (10-13°C) and day temps of 65-70°F (18-21°C).  
2. You can keep the plant indoors if the air temperature drops below 55°F (13°C).
3. Keep the plant away from all sources of heat and cold drafts such as away from open window sills, radiators, entrance doors, hot-air vents, and fireplaces.

Low Humidity:

• The bird of paradise is hardy but will need a lot of humidity to match with its native tropical conditions. 
• In case of plant’s surrounding air is dry then the leaves will lose more moisture resulting in wilting and drooping of leaves. 
• If the plant is not watered well the leaves will start to become dry, crispy, and droop resulting in wilted foliage and collapsing due to dehydration and die-off. 
• The plants having yellowed leaves and browned leaves are the signs of low humidity. 
• When the plant suffers from low humidity will result in losing moisture faster. 
• The bird of paradise dealing with underwater will have symptoms of drooping leaves.

Solution:

1. To solve humidity, give the plant proper misting twice a week or use a water tray with pebbles to maintain constant humidity. 
2. Make sure to place a humidifier close to the bird of paradise.
3. You can try grouping houseplants to have a humid microclimate

Drooping After Repotting:

• The bird of paradise will suffer from a mild shock or stress when it’s repotted or transplanted. 
• The bird of paradise drooping leaves because the roots are used to readjust to absorb water properly.
• The roots used to suffer damage during unpotting or repotting. Unless the roots are not established the leaves will turn yellow, wilt, brown, or even fall off. 

Solution:

1. The plant when gets repotted or transplanted will take some time to react so wait for the plant to bounce back.
2. You need to be careful with the root system while unpotting, prepping, and repotting the bird of paradise. 
3. Provide the plant with optimum conditions and avoid fertilizing unless you see new growth in the plant. 

Water Quality:

• The drooping of leaves still exists after correcting water issues which could be because of water quality is not good.
• Tap water contains fluoride, minerals, chlorine, and salts which accumulate in the soil and affect photosynthesis, respiration, and distribution of nutrients. When you don’t treat the plant correctly it will lead to drooping in the bird of paradise. 
• In case of salt building up it will make the leaves turn brown and burn in which you can spot white salt deposits on the surface of the soil. 

Solution:

1. To avoid bird of paradise drooping leaves due to water quality then use filtered or distilled water. 
2. Try using a decent water filtration system to help the bird of paradise to thrive best. 
3. You can leave the tap water in a sink, bathtub, or open container overnight which will help to evaporate chlorine and impurities from the water. 

Amount of light:

• The bird of paradise thrives best in a bright, brightly lit spot in which some varieties will appreciate part shadow, low light that causes the leaves to become leggy and flop. 
• Bird of paradise may also suffer from collapsing when it’s too large and with heavy weight. 
• The foliage of the bird of paradise starts to droop when it gets exposed to too little light but too much light will scorch the leaves leading to leaf browning, wilting, and drooping.

Solution:

1. To provide a plant with the perfect amount of light, you need to pick an area where it gets plenty of bright, indirect, or filtered light. 
2. During the summer move the plant indoors, best to keep it to a west-facing window. 

Getting Enough Nutrients:

• The bird of paradise needs a steady supply of nutrients and minerals but when it looks unhealthy and drooping because of suffering from nutrient deficiency.
• The bird of paradise drooping leaves are most commonly caused using magnesium deficiency.
• When the drooping leaves start yellowing it’s because of a lack of nitrogen, manganese, or iron so look the plant closely for any discolorations

Solution:

1. Need to repot the bird of paradise at least once every  2-3 years with a fresh potting mix and with the soil that is rich in organic matter. 
2. The bird of paradise is a heavy feeder so feed it every 2 weeks during spring and summer with half-strength houseplant fertilizer.
3. Don’t fertilize the plant during the dormancy period i.e. winter season. 

Insect Infestation:

• Yes, birds of paradise get in trouble because of a few pests like mealybugs, aphids, spider mites, and scales which use to suck out sap from the leaves. 
• These pests used to drain moisture from the bird of paradise which causes leaves to wilt and droop. 
• There are sap-sucking bugs that leave a sticky,  sugary substance called honeydew on the leaves which use to attract pathogens like fungus gnats that cause infections, leading to drooping.

Solution:

1. You need to remove bugs from the bird of paradise by spraying on leaves with a powerful blast of water.
2. Ensure to trim away all heavily affected materials with the help of rubbing alcohol from the treating and trimming zone. 
3. Now spray homemade or commercial insecticidal soap like neem oil every  5-7 days unless the plant gets pests-free. 

Diseases:

• The disease used to get infested when a plant is thriving in damp conditions like bacterial wilt, stem rot, and root rot.
• It will not only cause tissue damage but does hinder the plant’s ability to absorb nutrients and water.
• The bird of paradise commonly gets infested with disease leaf blight and will thrive in wet conditions due to overwatering or overhead watering.
• The diseases have symptoms in the form of white spots on the foliage encircled with green rings leading to bird of paradise drooping leaves. 
• The bacterial wilt to the bird of paradise disease will cause the leaves to turn pale green

Solution:

1. You need to remove and discard all diseased parts to avoid the spreading of the disease. But before cutting tools with rubbing alcohol.
2. In most cases stem rot and bacterial wilt due to overwatering which unpot the bird of paradise by rinsing off all old potting mix and repot this in fresh soil. 
3. To repot, use copper or sulfur-based fungicides or you can prepare homemade baking soda spray and adding  a little insecticidal soap.
4. The bacterial wilt can be prevented by using copper-based fungicides and using well-draining potting mix.

Outgrown Its Container:

• In the case of a plant struggling from root bound due to less quantity of nutrients and moisture. 
• The bird of paradise will not absorb the nutrients from the potting mix when it has outgrown the container. 
• When the plant struggles because of nutrient deficiency and poor watering habits it will result in Bird of Paradise drooping leaves.

Solution:

1. If the bird of paradise outgrows from its container you should either repot in a larger pot or separate the root into smaller divisions to thin the plant. 
2. You need to repot the plant in early spring before new growth starts emerging with the help of a rich, well-draining potting mix. 
3. Unpot the bird of paradise carefully by creating a smaller division by splitting the shoots.
4. Make sure to separately replant the division and maintain even moisture for 3 to 6 months.  

Lack of Roots Development:

• When the fresh transplanted or repotted bird of paradise is drooping you need to check the roots because a lack of root development will result in root damage, root rot, transplanting shock, or attack with root pests.
• The plant without having the ability to take up the nutrients and water will make the leaves wilt, yellow, and brown with limp and droop. 

Solution:

1. The action to be taken here is to propagate the plant for newly developed roots. You can use several divisions, with each stem division in which have at least four tubers/rhizomes and a few leaves on it. 
2. You need to dust the division using some powdered rooting hormones, and then plant them in a small container. 
3. Avoid watering until the cuts get healed up.
4. Maintain the consistency of moisture for between 3 and 6 months so that they robust the roots. 

Lack of Fertilizer Application:

•  When the plant is filled with excess fertilizer that doesn’t get absorbed by the plant will deposit close to the root ball as salts.
• When the fertilizer is salt build-up will become concentrated and will not allow the roots to absorb nutrients and water due to which leaves will become yellowed, browned, and wilt resulting in bird of paradise drooping leaves and falling off.

Solution:

1. Just make sure to water the plant deeply unless the water comes out of the drainage holes resulting in flushing off excess fertilizer salts from the soil. 
2. Always fertilize the bird of paradise during spring and summer once every fortnight and stop fertilizing during winter. 
3. You can also try to change the soil in case the soil is fed with too much fertilizer. 

Preventing bird of paradise Drooping Leaves:

Proper Watering Techniques:

• Maintaining watering is the perfect way to maintain a bird of paradise because too much and drowning or too little will misbalance the plant’s health. To check for watering needs, firstly check the soil before adding more water and if the top two inches of soil is dry then it’s time to water the plant. 
• Avoid overwatering by sooking the soil slowly and deeply but keep the leaves dry because wet leaves will result in disease. Before watering dry almost the soil before watering again because it will lead to root rot and droopy leaves.  
• You need to water from soil leave that prevents damage to the foilage where the water reaches the roots where it’s mostly required. 

Structural Support Considerations:

• The pot size of the bird of paradise matters because it needs room to grow having a small pot size will lead to drooping leaves. 
• Remember to repot the plant every 2-3 years which will result in having enough room for its root to grow and prevent drooping. 
• Ensure to use a pot with good drainage will prevent waterlogging and root rot. 
• Always choose the right soil that results in a well-draining soil mixture and prevents overwatering and optimal growth.
• Need to amend the soil with compost or humus to improve drainage which helps in preventing drooping stems.

Note: 

Prevention is better than curing so follow all these methods for keeping the bird of paradise tall and blooming. 

Final Words:

The bird of paradise drooping leaves are normal when they have over-dry soil. You need to ensure that the soil is consistently moist by regularly watering it when you find two inches of soil dry to touch. Not only this, maintaining temperature above 50°F(10°C), humidity, and bright indirect light will help in keeping the bird of paradise blooming beautifully.