Question
Darlene,

I purchased my Bird-of-Paradise plant from Smith and Hawkin approx. two years ago. I had some problems with some scaling about a year ago and sponged the leaves with soapy water, which seemed to take care of the problem. I continue to wet sponge the leaves every couple of months and the leaves are looking good.

My problem is that the top halves of the last two leaves have failed to open and only one side of the bottom section have unfurled. I attempted to peel a small section of a leaf but only managed to tear it.

Is there anything I can do?

Answer
Steve,

If it is getting plenty of sun and you see no signs of insects then the only thing you can do is be patient. The plant will open the leaves in it's own time. Just to be safe you might Spray or sponge the plant well with soapy water to eradicate any unseen insects. The following site has more info on bird of paradise: http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1562.htm

Good luck,
Darlene