5 Best Bird of Paradise Types You Can Grow Indoors

Discover the amazing Bird of Paradise Types to Grow Indoors and bring the beauty of its tropical charm to your rooms.

With its orange, crane-like flowers, the plant looks quite attractive with its big and lush foliage. If you want to include it in your rooms, then check out these best Bird of Paradise Types You Can Grow Indoors. 

Have a look at some of the best tropical foliage houseplants here

Bird of Paradise

‘Bird of Paradise‘ includes two different plant genera with similar names – Strelitzia genus, and Caesalpinia. Plants from the Strelitzia genus is mainly known as florist flower, native to humid and warm areas of South Africa; in zones 9-11, you can grow them as outdoor perennials and can be grown as houseplants anywhere else.

The completely different genus, Caesalpinia, comprises many broadleaf evergreen shrubs and trees. They belong to arid areas, and the plant and flowers are entirely different from the Strelitzia species.

Best Indoor Varieties of Bird of Paradise

1. Orange Bird of Paradise

Botanical Name: Strelitzia reginae

Height: 3-5 feet

The plant has long leathery foliage similar to the leaves of a banana tree. Its flowers have blue petals and orange sepals that rest on rigid stalks, resembling the head of an exotic bird. Some of its popular cultivars are:

• Mandela’s Gold: It’s a yellow flowering variety of the common orange flowering bird of paradise.
• Glauca: It offers beautiful, glaucous leaves and stems. This variety can reach up to 18-20 tall.
• Humilis: This dwarf cultivar features oblong foliage and dense clumps. It can grow up to 18-20 inches tall.

2. Dwarf Orange Bird of Paradise

Botanical Name: Strelitzia reginae ‘Dwarf’

Height: 1-3 feet

Also known as the orange crane flower, it displays beautiful spikes of orange blooms with blue overtones from late winter to late fall. The dark green pointed leaves have blue-green undersides. It prefers bright direct or indirect sunlight and moist soil.

3. White Bird of Paradise

Botanical Name: Strelitzia nicolai

Height: 5-7 feet

This large species from the Strelitzia genus features blooms with white sepals that form a crown and a purple-blue ‘tongue.’ The large gray-green leaves resemble a relative banana tree. It does best in full sun to part shade.

4. Narrow Leaf Bird of Paradise

Botanical Name: Strelitzia juncea

Height: 4-6 feet tall

The plant has reed-shaped leaves, which are not banana-like. Its orange and blue blooms are smaller than S.reginae. This variety is perfect for growing indoors and looks great as a corner plant in mid to large containers.

5. White Flowered Banana Plant

Botanical Name: Strelitzia alba

Height: 5-7 feet

It is one of the rare varieties with foliage that looks strikingly similar to banana plants like other varieties of this genus. Its foliage has a ‘leather’ touch to it, with green to gray hues. The plant also grows boat-shaped spathes in winter.