Orange Bird of Paradise, Delivered and Planted in SW Florida

Orange bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae) is a clumping tropical with gray-green paddle leaves and orange and blue flowers shaped like birds in flight, and it does well in SW Florida in sun to part shade. Blooms appear off and on through much of the year. We deliver and plant 7 and 15 gallon clumps for entries, pool corners and bed backdrops.

Light:: Full sun to part shade; blooms best with plenty of sun
Water:: Low to moderate; drought tolerant once established
Salt:: Low to moderate; takes light spray, not exposed oceanfront

Text Me a Planted Price Call (239) 799-5594

Orange Bird of Paradise sizes we deliver and plant

Every size below is planted by our crew, set at the right depth and watered in. Send the size and how many, and we text back a planted price, usually within the hour during the day.

Plant	Sizes
Orange Bird of Paradise	7 Gallon, 15 Gallon

Orange Bird of Paradise in SW Florida, at a glance

Mature size here: 3 to 6 ft tall and 3 to 4 ft wide, filling out as the clump matures
Light: Full sun to part shade; blooms best with plenty of sun
Water: Low to moderate; drought tolerant once established
Salt tolerance: Low to moderate; takes light spray, not exposed oceanfront
Cold tolerance: Frost burns leaves and flower buds; the clump survives brief dips into the 20s and regrows from the roots. Cover young clumps inland on frost nights
Growth rate: Moderate
Spacing: 3 ft apart for a mass planting
Florida native: No
Botanical name: Strelitzia reginae

Where Orange Bird of Paradise works in a SW Florida yard

Plant orange bird of paradise where the clump has room to arch, such as a patio corner, beside an entry or as the tall layer behind lower tropicals. The paddle leaves look like a banana's and the flowers stand on stiff stems above them, so it reads best against a plain wall or deep green backdrop.

Blue daze at the base echoes the blue in the bloom, and bromeliads and ti plants carry the tropical look all year.

Entry and pool accent
Tropical bed backdrop
Container specimen
Cut flower stems

How our crew plants it

The clump goes in whole, since Strelitzia blooms best when its roots fill their space. The hole is about twice as wide as the pot, the crown sits level with the surrounding soil, and the existing soil goes back in.

Our crew waters it in and cleans up. New clumps get frequent watering for the first couple of months, as Lee and Collier allow for new plantings, then low to moderate water.

Care after planting

Cut spent flower stalks and dead leaves off at the base to keep the clump tidy.
A slow-release fertilizer with micronutrients in spring and again in fall supports steady flowering; pause from June 1 to September 30, when Lee County, Naples and Marco Island ban nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer.
Water deeply on your assigned days; established clumps handle dry spells, but flowering drops off and leaves curl in long drought.
Cover young clumps on frost nights inland, because frost damages flower buds even when the leaves come through.
Leave the clump in place, since it flowers more freely when crowded and resents frequent division.

What to watch for

Scale is the usual pest, showing as bumps on leaves and stems with sticky honeydew, and horticultural oil clears light infestations.
Wind and salt spray tear and brown the leaves the way they do a banana's, so keep clumps out of open oceanfront exposure.

Orange Bird of Paradise questions we hear

When does orange bird of paradise bloom in Florida?+

Off and on through much of the year, in flushes. A healthy mature clump can send up many flower spikes a year, while a newly planted clump may take a season or two to settle in before it blooms heavily. Full sun and steady feeding give the most flowers.

How big does an orange bird of paradise get?+

A clump usually reaches 4 to 6 ft tall and 3 to 4 ft wide, and it spreads wider as it fills in. UF/IFAS lists 3 to 5 ft tall, so expect the size to vary with sun, soil and how well it is fed and watered.

Will orange bird of paradise survive frost in Cape Coral?+

Usually the clump does. Leaves burn and flower buds are lost in a freeze, but the roots survive brief dips into the 20s and regrow in spring. Coastal Cape Coral rarely sees frost; cover young clumps in Lehigh Acres and North Fort Myers on frost nights.

How far apart should I plant orange bird of paradise?+

Plant clumps about 3 ft apart for a mass or row, in line with UF/IFAS spacing of 24 to 36 inches, and give a single specimen at least that much room on all sides. Crowded plantings flower more freely, so do not stretch the spacing.

Does orange bird of paradise need full sun?+

It blooms best in full sun or high, shifting shade, and it tolerates part shade with fewer flowers. Keep it watered while it establishes, then it handles dry spells well. Heavy shade gives lots of leaves and few blooms.

Updated October 2026