Question
Hey Darlene,  I have a 6 ft. white bird of paradise plant which separates my dining and living rooms.  It receives bright light all day long.  I have had it for 2 yrs. in the same place and it has done beautifully--in fact, I was admiring it the other day and the fact that it looked so healthy and vibrant.  It has 3 unopened 'fronds' which have been tall and healthy since I bought the plant.  Suddenly they have begun to droop.  Can you offer an explanation for this?

Answer
Jeannie,

It could be caused by any one of the following:

1 Too much water causing the roots to rot. This is the hardest to solve, you have to cut back on the water and not let the plant sit in a tray of water to give the plant a chance to regrow roots.

2 Too little water. To solve this you just water it more thoroughly.

3 Insects. Mealy bugs look like little bits of cotton on the leaves. Or scale, looks like white brown or green spots about 1/8 - 1/4 inch diameter on the back of the leaves. These spots don't move and do not look like insects nor do the bits of cotton but they are. Either one causes a stickiness around and under the plant, this is the insects excrement.  To kill the insects spray the entire plant with rubbing alcohol twice a week for 6 weeks making sure you get the fronts and backs of all the leaves and the surface of the soil.

If you have more questions feel free to write again. Good luck.

Darlene