Here are five different species from two disparate plant genera, each commonly known as "bird of paradise. These plants, indigenous to warm, humid areas of South Africa, can be grown as outdoor perennials in zones 9–11 or as houseplants elsewhere.Īn entirely different genus, Caesalpinia, includes a number of broad-leaved evergreen trees and shrubs that also carry the common name "bird of paradise." The shape of these plants and the appearance of their flowers is starkly different than Strelitzia species. If you know the bird of paradise mainly as a florist's flower, you're probably thinking of the Strelitzia genus. One type of bird of paradise plant is a low-growing jungle plant with unique exotic flowers, a relative of the banana plant, while the other type is a member of the pea family, a thorny shrub or tree that loves desert environments. Very different species of plants can sometimes share the same common name, and nowhere is this more true than with the flowering plants known as "bird of paradise." Species from two entirely different plant genera share this common name, and that's just about the only thing similar about them.
Orange bird of paradise will grow in full sun but seems happiest in part sun or part shade. It can show off its unusual form and beauty.įits any size yard (the white bird of paradise is much larger, growing to 25 feet) and the flowers appear on and off all year, more during warm months. Able to grow up to six feet tall indoors, with leaves reaching 18 inches, Bird of Paradise is naturally hardy and rarely impacted by diseases and blights. This showy plant should be used as a focal point in the landscape, where Bird of Paradise is known not only for its beauty but for being a healthy and robust plant. It makes an outstanding tropical accent, working well in formal landscapes or more casual designs. Orange bird of paradise grows in a clumping form with thick, gray-green leaves on graceful, upright stems. That's why we've chosen it as the featured plant in our header here at. These plants are native to the tropical regions of America and the Pacific Ocean islands towards the west of Indonesia. If ever a single plant could symbolize our exotic, sub-tropical locale, it would be this one. They are also known as lobster-clawbecause they look like them, false bird-of-paradisebecause they resemble the flowers known as the bird of paradise, and wild plantain.