Planting, Growing, and Caring for Bird of Paradise Plants
The Almanac Garden Planner - Use It Free for 7 Days!
Plan your 2025 garden with our award-winning Garden Planner.
Are you looking to give your garden a tropical vibe? The regal Bird of Paradise plant, with its large leaves and magnificent flowers, is just what you need. Here’s how to care for Bird of Paradise plants—from potting to promoting blooms!
About Bird of Paradise
Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia) are associated with tropical scenes worldwide, though they are native to South Africa. They are often used as landscape plants in warmer regions of the United States, such as Hawaii, southern California, or Florida. They are the official flower of the City of Los Angeles!
These plants can be grown indoors in colder climates as an attractive (quite large) houseplant. Most strelitzia will not bloom indoors, but we are really here for the foliage!
Place these plants in a sunny spot in the home and bring them outdoors during the warmer months, but be sure to acclimate them to the stronger sunlight, or their foliage may burn.
Bird of Paradise Flowers
The Bird of Paradise gets its common name from its stunning, brightly-colored flower, which resembles a bird in flight. The most common species of Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) produces an orange and blue flower; the less-common White Bird of Paradise (S. nicolai) has white flowers highlighted with dark blue.
These plants can produce dozens of long-lasting blooms throughout the year in ideal conditions (i.e., proper lighting, watering, and temperatures).
- Orange Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) is the most recognizable type of Bird of Paradise. Each flower has 3 orange sepals and 3 blue petals.
- The variety ‘Mandelas’s Gold’ has yellow sepals and blue petals.
- Juncea Bird of Paradise (S. reginae var. juncea) is a variety of the orange Bird of Paradise. It produces smaller flower and the spear-like leaves grow from the base at the soil line. The flowers appear on a stalk, as they do on the orange Bird of Paradise.
- White Bird of Paradise (S. nicolaiis) is an enormous species that’s often used as a landscape plant in tropical climates. It may reach heights of up to 30 feet! As its name suggests, this species produces a lovely white flower highlighted with dark blue.
Catherine Boeckmann
ADVERTISEMENT
I discovered a BOP growing in my shrub. Roots exposed and a flower. Can I pull it out and plant it?
Yes, you can transplant bird of paradise! Just be careful while digging around the plant and try not to damage the roots too much.
Does BOP need to be post bound to Bloom? Mine is about 3 years and has never bloomed.
Bird of paradise doesn’t need to be pot bound, but some folks report that it flowers more readily when its roots are a bit restricted. The main reason why bird of paradise don’t bloom is insufficient lighting. They need to be exposed to bright light year round in order to produce flowers.
I have had a bird of paradise for several years and have yet to see a flower. I am in NC so keep it in the greenhouse in the winter and out in the summer. What is my problem?
maybe the soil lacks a certain nutrient needed for the Bird Paradise flower~
