Bird of Paradise Flower Meaning: Joy and Freedom, a Queen’s Name, and Four Victorian Dictionaries That Skip It

Bird of paradise flower means joy and freedom in modern florist guides, and its botanical name, Strelitzia, honours Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III. The flower is Strelitzia reginae, a South African plant with orange sepals and blue petals that reached Britain in 1773. Los Angeles is said to have made it the city flower in 1952, and some anniversary lists give it as the ninth-anniversary flower. None of the four Victorian flower dictionaries I searched lists it, so I found no Victorian source for any meaning below, and each section says where it comes from.

This page is part of our flower symbolism and meaning guide. Where sources disagree, the disagreement is shown rather than smoothed over.

What does the bird of paradise flower mean?

The bird of paradise flower means joy and freedom in the florist guides I read, with faithfulness, thoughtfulness and magnificence as secondary readings. The table sorts the meanings and uses by context.

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The takeaway is that joy and freedom are the readings the florist guides agree on, and I found no source that dates when they began.

Two guides tie the freedom reading to the shape. Singapore Florist ties it to the flower’s “resemblance to a bird in mid-flight”, and Freytag’s says “the flower resembles a bird in flight”. The Oxford University Plants 400 profile says the common names refer to orange and blue flowers “that look like crests on birds’ heads”, and NC State Extension says the flower head resembles a bird’s head.

The joy reading has no stated reason on the pages I read beyond colour. Freytag’s says the flower’s “bright colors naturally bring positive energy to a space”.

These are modern associations, and I found no older source for them. The Smithsonian Gardens lesson plan says Victorian authors drew on visual and verbal analogies, religious and literary sources, folkloric connections and botanical attributes to derive meanings. A bird-shaped flower read as freedom is an analogy of that visual kind, which is my reading rather than anything a source says about this plant.

Is the bird of paradise in the Victorian language of flowers?

No flower entry for the bird of paradise appears in the four Victorian-era dictionaries I searched: Greenaway’s Language of Flowers, Tyas’s 1869 Language of Flowers, Flora’s Pocket Dictionary (1870) and the 1884 Worthington Language of Flowers. Flora’s Pocket Dictionary carries a Philadelphia publisher’s imprint and the Worthington book a New York one, so two of the four carry American publishers’ imprints. I searched the full text of each for “paradise” and for fragments of “Strelitzia”, and found no entry for the flower.

The word “paradise” does turn up. Greenaway quotes a verse that calls a garden in a lady’s face “a heavenly paradise”, Tyas has “fool’s paradise” in a passage on impatience and quotes a verse about the amaranth, and Worthington uses the word in verse and in a passage about joys hereafter. None of those lines is about the flower, and Flora’s Pocket Dictionary does not use the word at all.

The plant was not unknown. Oxford says it was introduced into Britain in 1773, nearly a century before Tyas’s 1869 edition. I do not know why the four books leave it out, and I did not search other Victorian dictionaries.

The joy and freedom readings therefore cannot be shown to be Victorian from these four books. The earliest dated page I found that gives them is the Harper’s Bazaar UK list, updated on 3 July 2019 and credited to SerenataFlowers.com, and I did not trace where those readings first appeared.

Why the flower looks like a bird: it is built as a perch

The bird of paradise flower is built so that a bird can land on it. NC State says each flower has three orange sepals and three bright blue petals, and that two of the blue petals join into an arrow-like structure that holds the nectar. Oxford adds that the flowers emerge one after another from a stiff, horizontal, beak-like bract, which is the “beak” in the bird comparison.

When a bird lands on the arrowhead to drink, the petals open and pollen is deposited on the bird. Oxford says it lands on the bird’s feet or breast, and NC State says the petals open to cover the bird’s feet with pollen. The Berlin botanic garden describes the same mechanism.

Who does the pollinating in the wild is not settled. Oxford says the pollinator is usually a sunbird or weaverbird, while SANBI says sunbirds “may be the pollinator, but this has still to be proven” and notes that sunbirds have been seen “robbing” the flowers by taking nectar without triggering the pollination mechanism.

The “bird in flight” image is therefore a human reading of a structure whose job is to hold a real bird, which is my observation rather than a claim from a source.

Where the name comes from: a queen, a Kew collector and 1773

Strelitzia is named for Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, who came from the house of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Oxford, SANBI and the Berlin botanic garden all give this origin, and Oxford says Joseph Banks gave the genus its name and that the epithet reginae means “of the queen”. Oxford adds that she lived at Kew for many years.

The Berlin botanic garden describes the dedication as a fitting tribute to the botanical zeal and knowledge of the reigning queen, which is my translation of its German text.

Francis Masson, a Scottish botanist who started at the Royal Gardens at Kew in the 1760s as an under-gardener, was selected by Banks in 1772 to collect plants in South Africa. Oxford says Strelitzia reginae was one of more than 500 newly discovered species he sent back to England. Oxford dates the plant’s introduction into Britain to 1773, and the Berlin botanic garden says Masson brought it from the Cape of Good Hope in 1773. Wikipedia says it was grown at Kew in 1773 but gives no footnote for that, so I state 1773 as the arrival in Britain.

The takeaway is that 1773 is the year the plant arrived in Britain, and the name appears in print in 1788 and 1789. One tattoo studio’s page says Banks named the plant in 1773, which merges the two dates.

The common names carry the bird image too. Oxford gives bird-of-paradise and crane flower, and SANBI adds isigude in Nguni and kraanvoëlblom in Afrikaans.

Los Angeles and the bird of paradise: what 1952 rests on

Los Angeles is said to have made the bird of paradise its official flower in 1952, a year that rests on retail and studio pages rather than on a city record I could open. Orchid Republic says: “Bird of Paradise was declared L.A.’s floral emblem in 1952 by Mayor Fletcher Bowron to celebrate the city’s 171st birthday.” Freytag’s and the Apollo studio also give 1952.

Wikipedia says the flower “has been chosen as the official flower of City of Los Angeles” and gives no year. It cites a 2015 LA Magazine column and a 2014 Daily News article for the designation. LA Magazine’s page returned HTTP 403, a bot check, to my fetch, so I could not read it. The Berlin botanic garden says Los Angeles chose the flower as its emblem and gives no year either.

I found no council ordinance, proclamation or library record. The accurate summary is that 1952 is repeated consistently, and that I could not confirm it against a primary city record.

One fact-check on the same page: Orchid Republic calls the plant native to South America. Oxford and SANBI place it on South Africa’s eastern coast, from Humansdorp to northern KwaZulu-Natal.

Ninth anniversary: bird of paradise or poppy?

The ninth-anniversary flower is the bird of paradise on some lists and the poppy on others. Harper’s Bazaar UK gives it as “symbolic of freedom and joy”, adds faithfulness and thoughtfulness, and says it represents “a good perspective on life”. Freytag’s and PlantShed name it too, while Flying Flowers and Blossoming Gifts give the poppy.

The pages differ, and I found no historical source for the flower on any of them. Our anniversary flowers by year page compared seven lists and found no source documenting where their flowers came from, with the lists splitting on years 2, 4, 8 and 9.

Bird of paradise tattoo meaning

A bird of paradise tattoo can mean two different subjects, because the name belongs to a flower and to a family of birds. The Apollo studio says the flower is Strelitzia reginae and the bird belongs to the Paradisaeidae, which it counts as 40-plus species from New Guinea and nearby lands, and it treats them as separate tattoos.

For the flower, the studio lists four readings: Los Angeles identity, tropical escape, imported beauty and botanical aesthetic. Freedom and joy are not on its list, which shows how far the modern meanings depend on who is writing. This is one studio’s page, not a historical record. Our flower tattoo meanings guide covers other blooms.

Strelitzia reginae vs Strelitzia nicolai vs Heliconia

Strelitzia reginae is the orange bird of paradise, Strelitzia nicolai is the white one, and Heliconia is a different plant family that the RHS lists as “false bird of paradise”.

The takeaway is that only the first two are Strelitzia, and that Heliconia and the yellow bird-of-paradise bush belong to different families and share only the common name.

Sources differ on where S. nicolai grows wild. The RHS profile gives its range as “S Natal, NE Cape”, and NC State lists Botswana, KwaZulu-Natal, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The RHS profiles for both species, including the one for S. reginae, rate them H1B in the UK, which the RHS defines as able to be grown outside in summer, with a minimum temperature of 10 to 15 °C. SANBI counts five Strelitzia species in southern Africa. NC State says the nicolai epithet honours Nikolai Nikolaievich, the son of Czar Nicholas I. Our guide to bird of paradise types versus traveler’s palm covers telling the tall Strelitzia apart in the garden.

From meaning to care: growing a bird of paradise

In the UK and other cold climates a bird of paradise is a container plant that may take years to bloom. NC State gives USDA zones 10a to 12b for S. reginae. The RHS says to grow it under glass in a large container, and says plants “may take a few years to bloom and will only do so if given adequate levels of light and feed”. The RHS adds that they generally flower better when slightly pot-bound.

SANBI notes that mature plants will normally flower from stress when divided or transplanted, which it calls an in-built survival mechanism. NC State lists S. reginae as toxic to cats, dogs and horses, so keep a gifted plant out of a pet’s reach.

Our complete bird of paradise care guide covers light, pot size and watering. If you live in a cold climate, the zone 6 bird of paradise guide covers moving the plant outside and back in, and why a bird of paradise is not flowering lists the causes when the buds do not come.

If you give a bird of paradise, tell the recipient what it needs: bright light and a large pot, though the RHS says plants flower better when slightly pot-bound. The meaning on the card is the part you get to choose.

Bird of paradise flower meaning FAQ

What does a bird of paradise flower symbolize?

Modern florist guides give joy and freedom, with faithfulness, thoughtfulness and magnificence as secondary readings. None of the four Victorian dictionaries I searched lists the flower, so I found no Victorian source for these meanings.

Is the bird of paradise the ninth anniversary flower?

It is on some lists, including Harper’s Bazaar UK, Freytag’s and PlantShed. Other lists give the poppy, and I found no historical source for either.

When did the bird of paradise become the official flower of Los Angeles?

Retail and studio pages say 1952, and Orchid Republic names Mayor Fletcher Bowron. I could not confirm that against a city record, and Wikipedia gives no year.

Who is the bird of paradise flower named after?

The genus Strelitzia honours Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, who came from the house of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The epithet reginae means “of the queen”.

When did the bird of paradise reach Britain?

Oxford University Plants 400 dates its introduction into Britain to 1773, after Francis Masson, a Kew gardener, collected plants in South Africa. The name appears in print in 1788 and 1789.

Is the bird of paradise in the Victorian language of flowers?

Not in the four dictionaries I searched: Greenaway, Tyas (1869), Flora’s Pocket Dictionary (1870) and the 1884 Worthington book. I did not search other Victorian dictionaries.

What is the difference between a bird of paradise and a false bird of paradise?

The bird of paradise plants of the genus Strelitzia are in the family Strelitziaceae. The RHS lists Heliconia, in the family Heliconiaceae, as “false bird of paradise”.

Is the bird of paradise toxic to pets?

NC State lists Strelitzia reginae as toxic to cats, dogs and horses, and Strelitzia nicolai as toxic to humans, dogs, cats and horses.

Sources

1. Oxford University Plants 400. Strelitzia reginae (bird-of-paradise flower). Department of Biology, University of Oxford
2. van der Walt, L. and Xaba, P. Strelitzia reginae (updated 2011). PlantZAfrica, South African National Biodiversity Institute
3. Mory, B. Was hat Mecklenburg mit der Paradiesvogelblume zu tun? Strelitzia reginae (Infoblatt, page dated 25 September 2012). Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin
4. NC State Extension. Strelitzia reginae (Bird of Paradise). Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
5. NC State Extension. Strelitzia nicolai (Giant Bird of Paradise). Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
6. Royal Horticultural Society. Strelitzia reginae (plant profile)
7. Royal Horticultural Society. Strelitzia nicolai (plant profile)
8. Royal Horticultural Society. Heliconia (plant profile)
9. UF/IFAS Extension. Heliconia rostrata, Lobster Claw (FPS248)
10. NC State Extension. Erythrostemon gilliesii (Bird-of-Paradise Bush). Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
11. International Plant Names Index. Strelitzia reginae Aiton, Hort. Kew. 1: 285, t. 2 (1789), with the Banks plate of 1788 listed under the same name. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Harvard University Herbaria and Australian National Herbarium
12. Wikipedia. Strelitzia reginae
13. Orchid Republic. Bird of Paradise, the Floral Emblem of Los Angeles
14. Freytag’s Florist. All About Birds of Paradise (flower dictionary)
15. Singapore Florist. A Guide to the Bird of Paradise Flower: Symbolism and Meaning (26 September 2025)
16. Davis, J. Here’s which flower represents each year of your marriage (list credited to SerenataFlowers.com, updated 3 July 2019). Harper’s Bazaar UK
17. PlantShed. Birds of Paradise Info (Flowerpedia)
18. Flying Flowers. Anniversary Flowers (UK)
19. Blossoming Gifts. Wedding Anniversary Flowers by Year
20. The Apollo Tattoo and Piercing Studio, Los Angeles. Bird of Paradise Tattoo Meaning: Flower vs. Bird
21. Greenaway, K. Language of Flowers. George Routledge and Sons (Project Gutenberg ebook 31591)
22. Tyas, R. The Language of Flowers: or, Floral Emblems of Thoughts, Feelings, and Sentiments. George Routledge and Sons, 1869. Internet Archive
23. Flora’s Pocket Dictionary: A Lexicon of the Language and Sentiment of Flowers. Porter and Coates, Philadelphia, 1870. Internet Archive
24. The Language of Flowers, Including Floral Poetry. R. Worthington, New York, 1884. Internet Archive
25. Smithsonian Gardens. The Language of Flowers (historic bloom lesson plan)