Bird of Paradise Plant Care

The two most commonly found Bird of Paradise species are Strelitzia reginae (regular) and Strelitzia nicolai (giant). The Strelitzia reginae has the striking orange flowers behind this well known meme...

I'm 37 years old, and just today realized it's called bird of paradise because it looks like the left picture, not the right...

The Strelitzia nicolai has white flowers, but to be honest neither species will flower until maturity (most likely when planted in the ground rather than in a pot).

Position / Light:
These species require plenty of indirect, bright light (as much as you can give them) and will therefore be equally happy outside. Just remember that your plant will need adequate drainage (i.e. a pot with a drainage hole!) if it's going to get rained on.

Care / Water:
These are pretty thirsty species, so make sure to keep them well watered (especially in the summer). As always however, drainage is key, so we recommend taking your plant outside (or into the bath or shower), giving it a good drench, then leaving plenty of time for all the residual water to drain through. For optimal growth, apply liquid fertiliser every two weeks during spring and summer. During winter (if kept inside), these species will appreciate a regular misting so that they don't dry out as a result of your heating.