Hi everyone! I have a large bird of paradise in a potted container on my porch. The leaves are turning brown, not from the edges, but from the centers out. See my attached photo! I am in zone 5B, so I know that it could be dry weather, but I water it regularly and it gets plenty of sun! Does this look like it's burning to you? Too much sun?? Thanks for your help!

Have you recently put the plant outside? It looks like sunburn to me which is not unusual in your dry thin air.

It has been outside for about two weeks.

Were you able to slowly acclimate it to the ourside sunlight? I thought this was a good explanation of the hows and whys when transitioning indoor plants outdoors.
https://extension.illinois.edu...

Definitely sun scorch. Your plant can tolerate dry air without a problem as long as the soil is kept damp.

Outside sun is many more times intense and potentially damaging than direct indoor sunlight. If you opt to keep it outside, make sure it is in full shade at all times. As an alternative, keep it inside in front of a sunny window year-round.

I thought I had given it adequate time to harden, but I guess not! Should I cut off the damaged leaves?

I would, they will not come back. I don't think you have to worry about the light, Streletzias flower best in full sun. Think of how they are used in highway medians in Southern California.

I suspect you have a Strelitzia alba, not a Strelitzia reginae. The former does better in lower light and is more commonly sold for indoor use. It rarely flowers. The flowering Reginae is what is more commonly grown outdoors in very warm climates. Unfortunately, it seems most retailers call both species Bird of Paradise.

Plants have a wide range of light tolerance, but it can take a long time for them to adapt to big changes. Outdoor sun can be from 10 to 100 times more intense than indoor direct sun.

Wow ours here in Florida flower all the time. We call it Strelitzia nicolai here.