I bought a Bird of Paradise............oh, probably close to 10 years ago. It was a $5.00 impulse/charity buy from WM, I believe. Plant looked horrible so it was one of those "Live or die, it's up to you" cases. It looked kinda skanky for a couple of years, but after 3 or 4 years of watering, Miracle Grow, and hauling in and out of the greenhouse for the season change it decided to reward me. It is now in a 20 inch pot, and this winter has showered me with at least a dozen blooms. It seems to have its bloom spurt from Jan-March in the g'house, tho it has on occasion, had a couple of blooms in the summer when it is outside. I probably should repot/divide it, but I imagine if I do that it will take a couple of years "off" and not bloom.
I agree, if the plant is only a year old, it is more than likely that it is a new leaf stalk that you are seeing. I was told they have to be really root-bound to bloom.........mine sure is. If I do repot/divide, I'm sure I'll have to take an ax or a saw to it as it was horribly root-bound when I went from a 16 inch pot to a 20. I think I have a pic of it........
