The best Strelitzia plants, compared.
Top pick: Carbeth 30–40 cm Strelitzia, 12 cm pot – It states 30–40 cm in a 12 cm pot, discloses the artificial stem, and has the fullest review file here, 4.2 from 44. The species is unnamed. Best value: Carbeth Strelitzia in a 9 cm pot, 2 m claim – It is the £14.99 listing with review texts. The other £14.99 row has no texts and a 7–10 m claim beside a 9 cm pot. Updated October 2026.
A strelitzia plant, or bird of paradise, is a tender South African evergreen that you keep in Britain as a houseplant or a conservatory plant. It is not a shrub that stays outside through a UK winter. You buy it for the paddle leaves now and the orange or white flower later. The Royal Horticultural Society says Strelitzia reginae usually has to be large, and about five to ten years old, before it blooms. A suitable plant is a rooted plant in a nursery pot. The species should be on the label, with a pot size and an arrival height in centimetres. The listing should say plainly if the flower in the photograph is plastic. Strelitzia reginae is the smaller orange-and-blue species, RHS hardiness H1B, about 1–1.5 m tall. Strelitzia nicolai is the giant white-flowered foliage plant. You need bright sun, shelter from scorch, and nights at or above about 10–12°C. A north-facing flat keeps a weak plant and will not produce a flower. The [strelitzia plant buying guide](/hub/ornamental-plants/strelitzia-plant/sub/strelitzia-plant-buying-guide) lists what the parcel should contain.
A strelitzia plant, or bird of paradise, is a tender South African evergreen that you keep in Britain as a houseplant or a conservatory plant. It is not a shrub that stays outside through a UK winter.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What should the listing show first?
At £16.99 this Carbeth listing states a 30–40 cm plant in a 12 cm pot, posted from the United Kingdom, plus a free artificial flowering stem. The star line is 4.2 from 44 amazon.co.uk reviews, the fullest set in this comparison. Reviewers often praise the packing and healthy leaves, and some report new growth after arrival. The same texts also say the plant was smaller than expected, arrived with brown leaves or a black spot, or came in very moist soil. Several UK reviews say the plastic flower was not obvious from the picture, even though the bullet says the stem is artificial because the plant does not produce these flowers in the UK until around 4–6 years. The species is still unnamed. You get a stated centimetre height and a plastic stem, and the plant is not in bloom. In this set it is the top pick because that height, the disclosed stem and the review file are the clearest parcel here.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a stated 30–40 cm plant, a disclosed artificial stem, and the fullest review file in this set.
Less suitable: You need the species named on the title, or a real flower this year.
Specifications
Common questions
What arrives in the parcel?
The bullet says a 30–40 cm plant in a 12 cm pot, plus a free artificial flowering stem. The species is not named. Country of origin is United Kingdom.
Is the flower real?
The listing says the stem is artificial because the plant does not produce these flowers in the UK until around 4–6 years. Several UK reviews say that was not obvious from the picture.
What do the reviews repeat?
The star line is 4.2 from 44. Texts praise packing and healthy leaves. They also mention a smaller plant than expected, brown leaves, and very moist soil.
Perfect Plants is the only title in this set that names Strelitzia reginae, at £17.95, as one bird of paradise in a 12 cm pot. A bullet on the same page says product type PLANT SEED, while the review texts describe a live plant, so the form in the box is not a single clear line. The height attribute says 12 cm, the same figure as the pot. Reviews mention plants of about 26 cm and about 30 cm, set against a 45 cm figure that is not in the current bullets. The star line is 4.0 from 26. Texts praise packing and a healthy small plant, and one mentions instructions. They also mention wilting after arrival, no flower yet, and, in one review, an artificial flower even though the listing does not state one. You are buying a named species in a small pot, and the plant is not in bloom.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You need the title to say Strelitzia reginae, and you will check the seed bullet against a live plant.
Less suitable: You need the listing to agree on form and arrival height, or a flower this year.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a plant or seed?
The title says a bird of paradise plant in a 12 cm pot, Strelitzia reginae. A bullet says product type PLANT SEED. The review texts describe a live plant.
How tall is it on arrival?
The height attribute says 12 centimetres, the same figure as the pot. Reviews mention about 26 cm and about 30 cm, against a 45 cm figure that is not in the current bullets.
What do the UK reviews say?
The star line is 4.0 from 26. Texts praise packing and a healthy small plant. They also mention wilting, no flower yet, and, in one review, an artificial flower.
This Carbeth plant is the other £14.99, 9 cm pot, and the seller says it grows to 2 m rather than stating a height for the day it arrives. Across 11 amazon.co.uk reviews the star line is 3.8. The texts that are present say the plant arrived healthy and, in one case, bigger than expected, while others say it was too small for the price. One review mentions flimsy handles. The species is unnamed, so the title does not tell you whether this is the smaller orange bird of paradise or the giant white one. The listing does not include an artificial flower, and it repeats the seller's line that flowers in the UK come after 4–6 years. Splits in mature leaves are described as normal. A 2 m figure remains a seller claim, not a size you can measure in the parcel. In this set it is the best value because it is the £14.99 row that has review texts.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the £14.99, 9 cm pot that has review texts, and you can grow a small plant on.
Less suitable: You need a named species or a height you can measure on delivery day.
Specifications
Common questions
What arrives in the parcel?
One plant in a 9 cm pot. The species is not named. Arrival height is not stated.
What do the UK reviews say?
The star line is 3.8 from 11. The texts that are present say the plant arrived healthy and, in one case, bigger than expected. Others say it was too small.
Is an artificial flower included?
The listing does not say so. It does say flowers in the UK come after 4–6 years, and that splits in mature leaves are normal.
The Carbeth listing is one live strelitzia in a 9 cm pot at £14.99, and that pot is the plant you actually receive. The title leaves the species unnamed, so it does not say Strelitzia reginae or Strelitzia nicolai, and it gives no arrival height. The seller's line of about 7–10 m, with a spread of about 3.5 m, is a mature-size claim printed beside a 9 cm pot. The star line is 3.8 from 9 amazon.co.uk reviews, and no review texts are stored with the listing, so packing and leaf condition are not described. The listing says the plant does not flower in the UK until after 4–6 years, which is the seller's figure, and that it is not cold tolerant. Partial sun and moderate watering are the only care lines on the page. If you need a named species or a stated height on delivery day, this row leaves both blank.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You accept an unnamed 9 cm pot when arrival height and review texts are blank.
Less suitable: You need a named species, a stated height on delivery, or review texts.
Specifications
Common questions
What arrives in the parcel?
The listing says one Strelitzia in a 9 cm plastic growing pot. It does not name reginae or nicolai, and it does not state an arrival height.
What height does the seller state?
The bullet says about 7–10 m with a spread of about 3.5 m. The height attribute says 10 metres. No review texts are stored with the listing.
Does the listing include an artificial flower?
It does not say so. It does say the plant does not flower in the UK until after 4–6 years, and that it is not cold tolerant.
This £16.99 Carbeth listing repeats the 30–40 cm plant in a 12 cm pot and the free artificial flowering stem, then disagrees with itself about how many plants are in the box. The title says x2 and the pieces field says 2, while the bullet says you receive one 30–40 cm plant and the unit count is 1. The star line is 3.8 from only 2 amazon.co.uk reviews, and no review texts are stored with the listing, so leaf condition and packing are not described. The species is unnamed. The seller's reason for the plastic stem is the same four-to-six-year wait before flowers in the UK. Until the quantity line is a single figure, you cannot treat this as a pair of plants or as a settled single 30–40 cm plant. The flower in the photo is the artificial stem the bullet describes.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You will confirm how many plants are in the box before you trust the title.
Less suitable: You need one agreed quantity, review texts, or a named species.
Specifications
Common questions
How many plants are in the box?
The title says x2 and the pieces field says 2. The bullet says you receive a 30–40 cm plant in a 12 cm pot, and the unit count is 1.
Is the flower real?
The listing includes a free artificial flowering stem and says the plant does not produce these flowers in the UK until around 4–6 years.
What do the reviews say?
The star line is 3.8 from 2. No review texts are stored with the listing.
At £23.99 this Carbeth listing is the dearest row in the set, and the extra money is tied to a claimed white pot and a free artificial flowering stem, with no stated pot size or arrival height. The title spells the plant Stelitzia and leaves the species unnamed. The star line is 3.2 from 11 amazon.co.uk reviews, the lowest in this comparison. One of the two review texts says the white pot was not included and that a plastic flower was attached. The other says the plant was a bit small and may be good in a few years. Indoor and office use is the setting on the page. Sun and soil are asked in the questions and left unanswered in the bullets. If the white pot is the reason for the price, one review says it was not in the parcel.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are paying for the white pot the bullet claims, and you will check the parcel.
Less suitable: You need a stated pot size, a named species, or reviews that confirm the pot arrived.
Specifications
Common questions
What is included?
The bullet says the plant and the white pot in the picture, plus a free artificial flowering stem. Pot size and arrival height are not stated. The species is not named.
Did reviewers receive the white pot?
One of the two review texts says the white pot was not included and that a plastic flower was attached. The other says the plant was a bit small.
Where does the listing say to keep it?
Indoor, with office decor as the recommended use. Sun and soil are asked in the questions and not answered in the bullets.
Six amazon.co.uk strelitzia listings were scored for this set only, not as a laboratory trial and not as a UK-wide ranking. Points follow a live plant, a species on the label, a stated pot and arrival height, a clear line if the flower is artificial, the star line and whether review texts exist, a form and quantity that agree, and the price against what the listing actually states. The weights below sum to 100. One top pick and one best value. Named nursery plants outside these six listings are not in the table.
Species on the label
22%A named species is the difference between the smaller orange bird of paradise and the giant white one. Only one title in this set names Strelitzia reginae. The other titles say Strelitzia or bird of paradise and stop. None names Strelitzia nicolai.
Pot and arrival height
22%A pot size and an arrival height in centimetres are what you can check on delivery day. A 7–10 m bullet on a 9 cm pot, and a 2 m line on the other 9 cm pot, are seller claims, not a measured plant in the parcel.
Artificial flower stated
14%If the photograph shows a flower, the listing should say whether the stem is plastic. Three rows include a free artificial stem because the seller says UK flowers come after about four to six years. A surprise plastic stem in the reviews is marked down.
Star line and review text
18%The star line and the review count come from the amazon.co.uk listing. Texts that describe packing, leaf condition, size or a missing pot count. A star line with no stored texts cannot describe the plant that arrived. This is not a lab score.
Form and quantity agree
12%The parcel should be one rooted plant in a nursery pot. A title that says x2 while the bullet says one plant does not agree. A bullet that says PLANT SEED while the reviews describe a live plant does not agree either.
Price against the stated plant
12%Entry in this set is £14.99 for a 9 cm pot. £16.99 buys a stated 30–40 cm plant. £23.99 is higher only because a white pot is claimed. A higher price still does not buy a flower.
Start with a live rooted plant, then the species on the label, then pot size and arrival height, then whether the flower in the photo is plastic. Light and winter heat come before a decorative pot. The notes below follow that order for bird of paradise plants kept in UK houses and conservatories.
A strelitzia plant, or bird of paradise, is a tender South African evergreen. In the UK you keep it as a houseplant or a conservatory plant. It is not a shrub that stays out all winter. You buy it for the paddle leaves now and the orange or white flower later. The Royal Horticultural Society says Strelitzia reginae usually has to be large, and about five to ten years old, before it blooms. Strelitzia reginae is the smaller orange-and-blue species.
A 7–10 m bullet beside a 9 cm pot is a mature-size claim, not the height on delivery day. A 2 m line on the other 9 cm pot is the same kind of claim. Measure the plant that arrives.
Water freely in growth and sparingly from late autumn. A cover pot left full of water sits against that. Nights should stay at or above about 10–12°C. H1B is not a plant that stays out through a UK winter.
Only one title in this set names Strelitzia reginae. The others say Strelitzia or bird of paradise and stop. None names Strelitzia nicolai. A plastic flower in the photo is not a bloom.
Species on the label is the first check after you have confirmed a live plant. Without it you cannot tell the smaller orange bird of paradise from the giant white one. Strelitzia reginae is about 1–1.5 m at the RHS maximum, hardiness H1B. Strelitzia nicolai is the foliage giant, and Thompson & Morgan states 3 m as a maximum for the plant they sell. In this set only the Perfect Plants title names Strelitzia reginae, at £17.95, in a 12 cm pot.
Whether the flower is real is the next check. Three listings include a free artificial flowering stem because the seller says the plant will not flower in the UK for about four to six years. The RHS figure for Strelitzia reginae is about five to ten years, and the plant usually has to be large. UK reviews on the 30–40 cm Carbeth listing and on the named reginae listing say the plastic stem was a surprise. The named listing does not state an artificial flower, yet one review mentions one.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a centimetre height on the listing and a clear line that the flower stem is artificial. The Carbeth row at £16.99 states a 30–40 cm plant in a 12 cm pot and a free artificial stem. The star line is 4.2 from 44 reviews. The species is still unnamed.
You need the label to say Strelitzia reginae, the smaller orange species, rather than an unnamed bird of paradise. Perfect Plants is the only title in this set that does that, at £17.95, in a 12 cm pot. A bullet also says PLANT SEED, and the height attribute says 12 cm.
You want the £14.99 pot and you want review texts, not only a star line. The Carbeth 9 cm listing that says the plant grows to 2 m is 3.8 from 11, with texts about a healthy arrival and about size. The other £14.99 listing has no review texts and a 7–10 m bullet.
The top pick in this set is the Carbeth listing at £16.99. It states a 30–40 cm plant in a 12 cm pot and a free artificial flowering stem, and it has the fullest review file here, 4.2 from 44. The species is still unnamed. The best value is the Carbeth 9 cm pot at £14.99 that has review texts, 3.8 from 11. The twin £14.99 listing has no review texts and a 7–10 m bullet, which is a mature-size claim, not the height in the parcel. If the title must say Strelitzia reginae, that is the Perfect Plants row at £17.95, and the same page also says product type PLANT SEED.
Carbeth 30–40 cm Strelitzia, 12 cm pot
It states 30–40 cm in a 12 cm pot, discloses the artificial stem, and has the fullest review file here, 4.2 from 44. The species is unnamed.
Carbeth Strelitzia in a 9 cm pot, 2 m claim
It is the £14.99 listing with review texts. The other £14.99 row has no texts and a 7–10 m claim beside a 9 cm pot.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public sources from the research digest, last checked on 20 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file. The price band is this set, not a market average. Scores apply to these six listings only.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Lee Burkhill (Garden Ninja) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the stored amazon.co.uk figures, not a live crawl. We did not grow these plants or run a hardiness trial.
