Light
Direct sun
Ideal spot
Strelitzia reginae · Flowering plant
Direct sun
Ideal spot
about weekly
In the growing season
Moderate
Moderate grower
Toxic
Cats & dogs
Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) belongs to the Strelitziaceae family and is a moderate houseplant to look after. This moderate grower plant is happiest in direct sun and reaches 100–250 cm indoors.
For watering, the rule is simple: let the top dry out. In the growing season it needs water roughly every 6 days, dropping to every 12 days in winter. Use the watering calculator below to tune that rhythm to your pot size, light and household humidity.
Important: Bird of Paradise is toxic to pets — keep it out of reach of cats, dogs and children.
Set your pot size, light and humidity — the calculator tunes the watering rhythm to your home.
Light at the spot
Humidity
Season
Water Bird of Paradise
every 6 days
≈ about weekly · 5× per month
Let the top 2–3 cm dry and finger-check before watering again.
Bird of Paradise prefers direct sun but will cope with bright, indirect. Harsh midday sun can scorch sensitive leaves, while too little light leads to leggy, sparse growth.
Keep Bird of Paradise between 15–28 °C and aim for around 55% humidity (40% minimum). Below 10 °C it risks cold damage — keep it away from draughty windows and radiators.
15–28 °C
Not below 10 °C
55%
40% minimum
Let the top dry out
Soil between waterings
Pot Bird of Paradise in rich, free-draining loam-based mix. A drainage hole is essential — soggy, airless soil is the single most common way houseplants die.
Bird of paradise is toxic to cats and dogs — the flower and seeds most of all — causing vomiting and drowsiness; mildly irritating to people.
The best ways to propagate Bird of Paradise are division and seed. Late spring and summer are ideal, when the plant is growing most actively.
Its crested orange-and-blue flower resembles a tropical bird in flight, giving the plant its name.
In the growing season Bird of Paradise needs watering about weekly (about every 6 days in a 16 cm pot at medium light), and much less in winter — roughly every 12 days. Use the watering calculator above to get the exact interval for your conditions.
Bird of Paradise thrives in direct sun. A spot near a bright window out of harsh midday sun is ideal; give it a little more light in winter.
Bird of Paradise is toxic to pets. Bird of paradise is toxic to cats and dogs — the flower and seeds most of all — causing vomiting and drowsiness; mildly irritating to people.
The most common problem with Bird of Paradise is reluctant to flower. Check your watering and drainage first — most issues trace back to too much or too little water.
The best ways to propagate Bird of Paradise are division and seed. Late spring and summer are ideal, when the plant is growing most actively.
Indoors Bird of Paradise typically reaches 100–250 cm. With the right light and occasional repotting it stays compact and bushy.
Care data last verified on 15 June 2026.
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