05
Grow from seeds, but prepare for a long wait
You can grow bird-of-paradise from seed if you’re not in a hurry to see the results. The unique black seeds are covered with bright orange fuzz on one end. Sow them in a ready-made mix, vermiculite, or a peat-and-perlite mix about one-half to one-inch deep. From the day of planting, the seeds take months to germinate and between three and five years to bloom. Soak the seeds in tepid water for a couple of days and scuff the shell to increase germination times.
