Skip to main content

HappySprout may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Successfully grow a bird of paradise houseplant with these tips

How to make your bird of paradise happy and healthy

bird of paradise plant
Jason Shannon / Unsplash

A bird of paradise will bring beautiful greenery — and, if you’re lucky, gorgeous tropical flowers — into your home. They’re native to warmer climates but are regarded as a fast-growing houseplant whose leaves can get up to 18 inches long. As a houseplant, the bird of paradise can get up to 6-feet tall and is quite the investment. Still, if you have the space and time for these lovely plants, they are well worth the effort. To set you up for success, here’s what you need to know about bird of paradise plant indoor care.

Where to get a bird of paradise

Bird of paradise plant
Yuris Schulz Photographer / Shutterstock

There are five species of bird of paradise, two of which are the ones you’ll often see as houseplants. A bird of paradise houseplant can easily be purchased as long as you look in the right places! You can call or shop local nurseries in your area to see if they have any in stock. If you’re lucky, you may even come across someone looking to rehome their plant for free! And, of course, there are always plant delivery services like Bloomscape or The Sill. In most cases, they’ll deliver the plant directly to your door, complete with indoor care instructions.

Recommended Videos

Are they easy to care for?

An orange bird of paradise bloom
Thierry Fillieul / Pexels

The bird of paradise plant’s indoor care isn’t very complicated; however, given that they’re native to tropical climates, you’ll find that they need a lot of bright light to really thrive. It can take up to five years for a bird of paradise to bloom, which will be more likely to happen when given the right conditions. The bird of paradise should be fertilized once at the beginning of the growing season. If you live in a climate that has warmer summers, you can also pot your bird of paradise in a container that can be easily moved to an outside space for warmer days.

What about maintenance?

While the bird of paradise plant isn’t the easiest of plants to care for, it’s not a daunting task if you follow these guidelines.

  • Keep the soil relatively moist while avoiding drowning the plant since it’s native to more humid climates and enjoys a humid environment.
    • Check on your bird of paradise daily (which is a good thing to do for all your plants!) so you know when it needs water. You’ll know that your bird of paradise is being underwatered if the leaves farthest from the middle begin to yellow.
    • Distilled water is your best bet, as it doesn’t respond well to chemicals found in tap water like salt of chlorine. It can be quite costly to buy distilled bottles of water to use only for your plants, so you can always buy an at-home water filter for your fridge or let your tap water sit uncovered for a day to allow harmful chemicals to evaporate.
  • Keep an eye on light. Although the bird of paradise houseplant requires a lot of bright light to thrive, it doesn’t do well in midday direct sunlight. This type of lighting is often the harshest and has the potential to burn the leaves. Bird of paradise plants will do best with the bright, indirect light of an east- or west-facing window.
  • Watch out for pests. Bird of paradise plants are vulnerable to aphids, mites, and scale bugs.
    • Insecticidal soaps can be used to control or get rid of infestations; however, be sure to follow the specific directions for the insecticidal soap you choose. If you use too much, it could adversely affect your plant.

Getting your bird of paradise to bloom

A pink bird of paradise bloom
Jean van der Meulen / Pexels

As with any flowering plant, the only way to encourage a bloom is to give it the best care possible. You’ll want to provide optimal conditions for your bird of paradise, including light, temperature, consistent watering, etc. If you’re lacking light, you can always purchase grow lights for the seasons when the plant is kept indoors. And keep in mind that this plant may not bloom for up to five years when it reaches full maturity.

Can you grow a bird of paradise plant outdoors?

Bird of paradise bloom
Danny Iacob / Shutterstock

While they’re most common as houseplants, you may be wondering if you can grow a bird of paradise flower outdoors. The answer is yes, if you live in the right zones! As tropical plants, these lovely flowers are not suited for colder climates, and they can even struggle in some mild ones. USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11 are warm enough for these flowers to be planted outdoors, but they will need a bit more shade to protect them from the more intense sunlight. If you live north of zone 10, you can take your potted bird of paradise plant outdoors during spring and summer. However, you should move it back inside before the cool weather begins in fall.

Give it all the love and attention you can, maintain the growth, and with luck, you’ll get to experience a bright, tropical flower. Worst case scenario, your bird of paradise doesn’t bloom, and you still have a gorgeous leafy green plant to enhance your home.

Kiera Baron
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kiera Baron is a freelance writer and editor, as well as a budding digital artist, based in Upstate NY. She is currently one…
How to propagate an anthurium for vibrant blooms
Here are three different anthurium propagation methods to get started
An anthurium in a pot

Anthurium plants, or flamingo flowers, are some of the most stunning houseplants that you’ll come across. A beautiful fixture in any home, they feature waxy, heart-shaped leaves and bold, glossy flowers. While anthurium plants are fairly easy to find in nurseries and online, there are other ways to get them. If you or someone you know already has an anthurium plant, you can propagate it to create new anthurium plants. Want to try it for yourself? Here's everything you need to know about how to propagate anthurium plants.
Method #1: How to propagate an anthurium by cuttings

Can you grow an anthurium from a cutting?
Long story short, yes. Growing an anthurium with a cutting isn't the most common way to propagate it, but it is possible. You can start a new anthurium with a cutting, but it has to be a specific kind of cutting — you want a stem cutting, not a leaf cutting.

Read more
Desert rose care guide: How to grow this stunning succulent
Keeping your desert rose happy indoors
Dark pink desert rose flowers

Desert roses are gorgeous succulents with lovely pink flowers, so it’s no wonder gardeners want to add them to their collections. Luckily, this plant is also easy to grow. It can become a part of an outdoor succulent garden, but did you know your desert rose also makes a great indoor plant? If you want to add a desert rose to your indoor succulent garden, or want to start your succulent collection off with one, then this is the guide for you. We’ll explain everything you need to know in order to keep your desert rose happy and healthy indoors.
Can you grow desert rose plants indoors?

Desert rose succulents are well suited to growing indoors, and they actually grow better indoors than out in most parts of the U.S. These cold-sensitive plants are only hardy in USDA zones 10 and 11, so keeping them indoors is actually the best way to grow them. Like most other succulents, start off with a container that has plenty of drainage holes. Desert rose plants cannot tolerate soggy soil, so both the container and the soil mix need to allow excess water to drain freely. A succulent or cactus-specific soil mix is perfect for your desert rose.

Read more
Grow borage like a pro: Tips for healthy, thriving plants
A guide on adding borage to your herb garden
Borage flowers close-up

Flowering herbs are useful for many reasons. Herb flowers are typically popular with pollinators, and the herb itself can be used for culinary or medicinal purposes. Borage is one flowering herb you may not have heard of, as it is less common than rosemary and thyme, for example. Still, borage can make a great addition to herb gardens, and it’s nice to have around.

If you’re not familiar with borage and want to know more about this lovely plant, this is the guide for you. We’ll explain everything you need to know about growing and caring for borage.
What is borage?

Read more