Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae)cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Crane Flower, Orange Bird of Paradise, Bird of Paradise Flower.

More about bird of paradise

About Bird of Paradise

Strelitzia reginae · also called Crane Flower, Orange Bird of Paradise · tropical

Strelitzia reginae is a bold South African perennial grown for its iconic orange-and-blue flowers resembling a tropical bird in flight. It requires bright direct or near-direct light and well-drained soil. An outstanding container plant for sunny patios. Mildly toxic to dogs and cats if ingested.

Cold limit: USDA 10-12 · RHS H1c (13-27°C)

What bird of paradise's hardiness rating actually means

Bird of Paradise is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Its RHS rating of H1c means: Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost. On the US scale that maps to USDA 10-12 — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 5 °C (and never frost). Bird of Paradise has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

Concretely, for bird of paradise as it gets too cold:

Below about about 5 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches.
A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover.
Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.

Can bird of paradise go outside or overwinter — and where?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 5 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually.
Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C.
It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when bird of paradise can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H1c figure above.

Bird of Paradise hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is bird of paradise cold hardy?

Bird of Paradise is not cold hardy. It is a tropical houseplant that dies if it is left out through frost — there is no zone where it overwinters outdoors in a UK or cold-US climate. Indoor-only in almost every home. Bird of Paradise can only live outside year-round in genuinely frost-free climates (roughly USDA 10-12); everywhere else it is a houseplant that summers out at most.

What is the minimum temperature bird of paradise can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about 5 °C (and never frost). Bird of Paradise has no frost tolerance at all — it is an indoor plant in any climate with a real winter.

What hardiness zone is bird of paradise?

Bird of Paradise is rated USDA 10-12 and RHS H1c — Warm-temperate — can summer outdoors but must come in well before the first frost.

Can bird of paradise survive winter outside?

It can holiday outdoors in summer once nights are reliably above 5 °C, in shade or dappled light, hardened off gradually. Bring it back indoors well before the first autumn frost — do not wait for a frost warning, move it when nights drop toward 10-12 °C. It will never overwinter outside in a temperate climate; the indoors is its winter home, full stop.

What happens to bird of paradise below its minimum temperature?

Below about about 5 °C, growth stalls and the leaves start to show cold stress — dark, water-soaked, or yellowing patches. A single light frost blackens the foliage; a hard freeze kills the whole plant, roots included, and it does not recover. Even a cold, draughty windowsill or an unheated porch in winter can be enough to damage it permanently.