Houseplant · Strelitziaceae
Bird of Paradise
Strelitzia reginae
Give it all the sun you can and a few patient years, and the crane flower rewards you with one of the most striking blooms indoors.
Full sun
50–81°F · 10–27°C
USDA 10–12
3–5 ft · 0.9–1.5 m
Overview
The bird of paradise earns its name the moment it flowers, when an orange-and-blue bloom unfolds from a beak-shaped bract that really does look like a crane in flight. It's a clump-forming perennial from South Africa, grown the world over for its bold flowers and its broad, banana-like leaves. Most people keep it as a houseplant, though in a frost-free spot it's just as happy outdoors.
What it asks for is light and time. This is a plant that wants as much sun as you can give it, and it won't bloom in a dim corner no matter how well you water it. It's also in no hurry. A young plant can spend several years building up before it flowers at all, so the reward goes to the gardener who waits.
Once it settles in, care is straightforward. Steady warmth, humid air, and a pot it can nearly outgrow keep it thriving, and the worst mistakes are a soggy mix and too little light. Get those two right and the rest mostly takes care of itself.
Care
The short version: give it the brightest spot you have, keep the soil moist but never soggy in the growing season and drier in winter, hold the humidity up, and leave it slightly pot-bound to coax out the flowers.
Light
Give this plant as much direct sun as you can, ideally a south-facing window or the brightest spot outdoors. It tolerates partial shade, but light is what triggers flowering, and a dim corner gives you healthy leaves and no blooms.
Water
Through the warm growing season, water freely and keep the mix moist but never waterlogged. Indoors, let the top of the potting mix dry a little between drinks, and ease right off in winter. The fastest way to kill it is a soggy pot that rots the roots.
Soil
Plant it in a fertile, well-drained loamy mix with plenty of organic matter. Drainage matters more than anything here, since standing moisture is what invites root rot.
Temperature
It's happiest between 50°F and 81°F (10°C to 27°C) and has no tolerance for frost. Bring container plants indoors before the cold arrives, and don't let it sit below about 50°F (10°C) if you want it to keep growing.
Humidity
This plant likes damp air, around 50% to 60%. In dry indoor rooms, especially in winter, mist it or stand the pot on a tray of damp gravel to keep the leaf edges from browning.
Feeding
Feed only in spring and summer with a water-soluble houseplant fertilizer, every two weeks in spring and up to weekly in summer. Stop in fall and winter, and don't overdo it, since heavy feeding pushes leaves at the expense of flowers.
Pruning
Pruning is minimal. Cut away spent flower stalks and any dead or badly shredded leaves, and wipe the foliage clean with a soft cloth. Skip leaf-shine products, which can clog the leaves.
Repotting
Repot only when you must, because this plant flowers better when pot-bound and an oversized pot just delays the blooms. Refresh the top few centimeters of soil each year, and move it up only in early spring once roots have filled or cracked the pot.
Size & spacing
Indoors it reaches about 3 to 5 feet (90 to 150 cm) tall and spreads roughly 2 to 4 feet (60 to 120 cm) across, so give a mature clump room for its broad leaves to arch out.
Troubleshooting
Most bird of paradise trouble traces back to light, water, or cold. The leaves usually tell you first, so read the symptom below and act before a small slip becomes a setback.
Wilting and yellowing even though the soil is wet
When a plant droops in soil that never dries, suspect root rot from a soggy mix or too much water. Slide it out of the pot, cut away any brown, mushy roots, and repot into fresh, fast-draining mix. From then on water only after the top of the mix has dried, and keep it on the dry side through the cool months.
Fix:
- Remove from pot and cut away rotted roots
- Repot into fresh, fast-draining mix
- Water only after the mix has dried slightly and ensure good drainage
Blackened, collapsed leaves after a cold snap
This plant has no tolerance for frost, and foliage exposed near freezing turns black, water-soaked, and limp. Bring containers indoors before the first frost, then trim off the ruined leaves once the cold has passed. To keep it actively growing, don't let temperatures sit below about 50°F (10°C).
Fix:
- Bring container plants indoors before first frost
- Remove damaged foliage once danger of frost has passed
No flowers, year after year
Almost always this comes down to too little light, since a mature plant wants close to full sun to set those crane-shaped blooms. The other common reason is patience: a seedling or fresh division can take years to reach flowering size. Resist the urge to up-pot, because the plant flowers better when it's left slightly pot-bound, and ease off the fertilizer if you're getting lush leaves and nothing else.
Fix:
- Move to the brightest possible spot with several hours of direct sun
- Allow the plant to mature and become pot-bound rather than repotting
- Replace only the top layer of soil yearly instead of up-potting
- Reduce fertilizer if foliage is lush but flowers are absent
Webbing, white fuzz, or brown bumps on the leaves
Indoors, this plant draws the usual sap-suckers. Fine webbing and speckled leaves point to spider mites, cottony white clumps to mealybugs, and small brown bumps on stems and leaves to scale. Wipe the foliage down, treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, and keep the plant apart from others until the trouble clears.
Fix:
- Wipe leaves with a soft cloth
- Treat with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil
- Isolate affected plants and repeat treatment as needed
Brown, crispy edges along the leaves
Dry indoor air is the usual culprit, and it bites hardest in winter when the heat is running. Patchy watering that lets the mix dry out completely makes it worse. Raise the humidity toward 60% with misting or a tray of damp gravel, water on a steady rhythm, and keep feeding through the growing season.
Fix:
- Raise humidity by misting or standing the pot on a tray of damp gravel
- Water consistently so the mix does not dry out completely
- Feed regularly during the growing season
Big leaves tearing along the veins
This one isn't a problem at all. The wide paddle leaves tear along their veins on purpose, letting wind pass through instead of catching it like a sail. The plant is fine. If you want the foliage to stay whole, move an outdoor plant somewhere more sheltered.
Fix:
- No treatment needed - splitting is a natural response
- Move outdoor plants to a more sheltered spot if intact foliage is desired
Toxicity
This plant is mildly toxic, with the irritating compounds concentrated in the fruit and seeds. A curious pet that chews on it is likely to get a queasy stomach rather than anything serious, but it's still worth keeping the flowering stalks and fallen seeds out of reach. Don't confuse it with the far more poisonous shrub that shares the same common name.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Mild
A cat that nibbles the fruit or seeds may drool, throw up, and turn sluggish. It usually passes on its own, but call the vet if the signs drag on.
Dogs Mild
Expect mild nausea, some vomiting, and a dog that seems tired. The fruit and seeds carry the irritants, so chewed leaves are far less of a worry.
Horses Mild
A horse that gets into the fruit or seeds can end up queasy and dull. Keep the flowering stalks out of reach where horses graze.
Rabbits Caution
The same gut irritants that bother cats and dogs aren't safe for a rabbit either. Don't let one graze on the plant, and keep fallen seeds swept up.
Livestock Caution
Goats, sheep, and cattle can get an upset stomach from the fruit and seeds. It's rarely serious in a quick taste, but the plant isn't fit forage.
Birds Caution
Pet birds shouldn't be allowed to pick at the seeds or fruit. Treat the whole plant as off the menu and offer safe greens instead.
People Caution
No part of this plant is grown to eat, and the fruit and seeds can upset the stomach. Keep small children from putting the seeds in their mouths.
Toxic principles are concentrated mainly in the fruit and seeds
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
The plain orange species is what most people grow, but one named selection is worth knowing.
'Mandela's Gold'
A standout selection that trades the usual orange for yellow and purple flowers rising from a grey-and-pink spathe.
How to propagate
There are two ways to make more, and they pull in opposite directions: one is quick, the other tests your patience.
DivisionModerate
Early spring, when the clump is root-bound · Divisions can flower within a year or two
Splitting the rhizome clump is the fast lane to flowers. Do it in early spring once the plant has filled its pot, cutting the clump into pieces that each keep a fan of leaves and a share of root. A good division can bloom within a year or two, far sooner than a seed-grown plant.
SeedDemanding
Fresh seed, germinated warm (75-90°F) · Germinates in 6-12 weeks; 4-10 years from seed to first flower
Seed is the patient gardener's route. Use fresh seed and keep it warm, around 75°F to 90°F (24°C to 32°C), and even then it takes 6 to 12 weeks just to sprout. From there you're looking at 4 to 10 years before the first flower, which is why most people divide instead.
Myths
This bird of paradise is the same plant, and as dangerous, as the bird of paradise shrub.
They share a common name and nothing else. This crane flower is Strelitzia reginae, which the ASPCA lists as only mildly toxic with a bit of stomach upset. The shrub sold as bird of paradise is the unrelated Caesalpinia gilliesii, and it's far more poisonous. The ASPCA warns outright not to mix up the two.
Split or shredded leaves mean the plant is sick.
Those tears are normal. The broad paddle leaves split along their veins on purpose so wind can pass through them, and it happens most outdoors or in a draft. The plant isn't harmed in the least, and sheltering it from wind is the only way to keep the foliage whole.
Sources
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC
- Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)
- UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control
- Plants of the World Online, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew