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Caring for a Sun Star Plant?

April 23, 2010

Sun Star PlantI have an orange star plant that has quit blooming. Should I cut the long stems off? The pot it is in has no hole at the bottom. Should I re-pot it? It's a beautiful plant and I would like to keep it. I just don't know how to take care of it. Thank You. Allene

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Hardiness Zone: 10a

By Allene from Phoenix, AZ

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Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 147 Feedbacks
April 25, 20108 found this helpful
Best Answer

An orange star plant is a tropical bromeliad originating from Ecuador. These plants make excellent house plants with their numerous overlapping green leaves coming from a central trunk and then bursting with a bright orange flower. The orange star can add a tropical feel and color to any room in your home. Like any tropical plant, the orange star likes it warm and humid. This plant is easy to grow with minimal care.

Step 1
Keep your orange star plant in bright indirect light or filtered light. If you are keeping the plant on a desk or in an area that does not have indirect light, keep under fluorescent lighting and check the soil for dryness more often.

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Step 2
Water to keep the soil evenly moist during the spring, summer and fall. Cut back the watering to allow the top of the soil to dry out in the winter. Leave a bottle of tap water out for 24 hours before using it to water the plant. This will allow harmful chemicals and lime to dissipate from the water.

Step 3
Mist the plant with a spray bottle once a day during the summer and fall. Another way to add humidity to the plant is to set the container on a tray covered with pebbles and water. Do not allow the plant to sit in the water but above it on the pebbles.

Step 4
Fertilize your orange star with a water-soluble fertilizer once a month from May through October. Use a balanced 20-20-20 fertilizer.

Step 5
Repot the plant every spring to encourage new growth. Give it a little extra water and hold back fertilizer until the plant has fully adjusted to the new pot and soil. You will know that it has adjusted by seeing new growth. Good luck.

 
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9 More Questions

Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.

May 1, 2020

I recently bought a sun star plant and the bulbs are top heavy and causing the entire plant to droop. What should I do?


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Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 105 Posts
May 1, 20200 found this helpful
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It almost sounds like you are over watering the plant. You should just water this plant once a week and don't try to over water it because the plant does not do good in wet solid and does a lot better in dryer soil.

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Normally on these plants the leaves are a bit droopy and this is normal when it flowers.

 

Gold Answer Medal for All Time! 617 Answers
May 2, 20200 found this helpful
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Make sure you do not overwater. You also want to make sure they receive bright indirect sunlight. Also it prefers a cooler indoor temperature.

 

Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 140 Posts
May 3, 20200 found this helpful
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Try a bigger pot for more stability, adding more soil. Make sure that this plant is moist (not wet) .

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Loves very bright sun, and spent leaves and flowers removed will make it stronger and reproduce!

 

Gold Feedback Medal for All Time! 949 Feedbacks
May 3, 20200 found this helpful
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I believe that I've always known these as Star of Bethlehem.

It sounds like you may need to repot your plant into a larger pot (with good drainage please). You can also divide up the bulbs and use several pots.

plantcaretoday.com/orange-star-plant.html

If that is not the case then you may need to stake your plant until it gets acclimated to its new home. Big store bought plants sometimes have a difficult adjusting as we have no way to know what type of atmosphere they were grown in and most likely, it is nothing like what we bring it home to.

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It is always best to do research on a new plant as soon as we bring it home as the little tags that come with a plant leave a lot to be desired as to real information and the future health of a new plants starts immediately - just as soon as we set it down - indoors or outdoors.

Several things about this plant:
"Don't be alarmed if the strappy foliage at the base of the plant is floppy, the 4-inch basal foliage naturally lies on the ground."
"Prune off foliage to the ground only after it has yellowed. Until that point, it still is taking in energy for next season's growth."

My plant seem easy to grow but I have them outside so not too sure of special care on indoors - I like to research and find what I need to do with new plants - especially where water, sun light and fertilizer is concerned.

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Maybe you can gain information from these sites.

homeguides.sfgate.com/care-ornithogalum-dubium-plant-40487...

www.mygardenlife.com/.../dubium

 
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April 6, 2022

I have a sun star plant whose leaves yellowed, he has bloomed. How do I prune him for the best care? Or are there any other suggestions? Thank you.


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Gold Feedback Medal for All Time! 949 Feedbacks
April 12, 20220 found this helpful
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Very important: do not cut off leaves until the plant looks dead.
As each flower cluster fades, cut it off at the base of the stem. Sun star's leaves continue making food for the bulb to store over the winter. As summer progresses, they gradually turn yellow and die back. When they're dead, cut them back at the base.
Keep an evenly moist soil as your plant will tolerate dry soil much better than wet.
Water weekly when it's actively growing and fertilize every other month.
Important: only use half-strength solution of water-soluble fertilizer.
Remember: Do not cut back the foliage, continue to water it, and let it die back on its own. This gives the plant the chance to store up energy in its bulb for the next growing season.
Plant bulbs should be kept moist but not waterlogged.
If potted, do not let water sit in the saucer under the plant.
Maintenance:
Keep soil around the plant clear of debris; it may harbor rust or leaf-spot fungi. Although unsightly, the diseases rarely do enough damage to warrant fungicide treatment.
Overfertilizing sun star causes brown leaf tips.
If you are in zone 7 or higher bulbs can usually remain in the ground over winter.
The Orange Star is the most popular but there are other varieties:
Yellow Star, Peach Star, Ivory Star

 
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May 29, 2018

I have an orange star plant, I think! Mine is yellow; is it something else?
Thanks.


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Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,246 Posts
May 30, 20180 found this helpful
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They come in yellow, too. Have a look at this page:

www.mygardenlife.com/.../get-to-know-orange-star

 
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Bronze Tip Medal for All Time! 86 Tips
May 27, 2014

Where can this plant be purchased? Thank you.

By Janette from Parkersburg, WV

Answers

Anonymous
April 18, 20170 found this helpful

I got mine from stop and shop believe it or not

 
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May 11, 2017

I have a sun star plant, does anyone if if I can put it outside or do I need to keep it in doors? How I do I care for this kind of plant? I saw it and thought it was pretty.


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Gold Post Medal for All Time! 677 Posts
May 11, 20171 found this helpful

Give it full sun and moderately moist soil.

 

Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,246 Posts
May 11, 20171 found this helpful

Here are Sun Star care instructions from rocketfarms.com

Water: Keep planting mix moist.

Light: Place in bright indirect sun light indoors.

Continuing Care: Remove spent flower spikes at base.

Temperature: Performs well at a cooler indoor temperature.

Fertilizer: Use liquid fertilizer at half the label rate every other month.

 

Gold Feedback Medal for All Time! 949 Feedbacks
May 13, 20170 found this helpful

You ask about putting it outside or should you keep it inside.
For planting outside the guides are saying okay in zones 7 - 11 but 7 and 8 may be risky unless you dig up the bulbs. It is a beautiful plant and is available in orange, yellow and white.
Here is a link to the US hardiness map in case you are not familiar with your zone.

planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/.../

Here is a link with care instructions - be sure to read all the way to the bottom and also - remember that most sites say this is a toxic plant so keep away from pets.
homeguides.sfgate.com/care-ornithogalum-dubium-plant-40487...

 
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April 8, 2019

My potted sun star plant began growing leaves about 2 months ago but there is still no sign of a flower stalk. (I was given this plant last Mother's Day while it was in bloom.) How long does it normally take to bloom?

The leaves are healthy, but I wonder if I should have separated the bulbs and repotted since the leaf clusters are thick and close together.

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May 25, 2018

I just bought and planted orange star flower, I love it, but in a wind storm one of the stalks broke off. Can I re-sprout it by planting the broken stalk directly back into the dirt or placing in water?


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May 16, 2019

I received an orange star plant for Mother's Day May 12th. Can I transplant it in a bigger pot right now?


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May 2, 2019

I purchased the orange star plant and am curious to know if the bulbs multiply?

Do Sun Star Bulbs Divide?
 

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