Each plant is unique. Size, shape, fullness, and variegation will vary.
Broad, paddle-shaped foliage and brilliant orange-and-blue flowers give this South African species its unmistakable tropical appearance. The flowers emerge from rigid, beak-shaped structures held above the foliage, creating the bird-like shape behind its common name. Even before it reaches flowering maturity, its upright fans of substantial green leaves make it an impressive foliage plant.
Growth develops from thick underground rhizomes, with leaves arranged in upright fans. Young plants begin with narrower, more lance-shaped leaves that become progressively larger and broader as the plant matures, eventually developing the familiar paddle-shaped foliage. Additional shoots can emerge from the rhizome over time, gradually creating a wider clump. Mature plants commonly reach approximately 4–6 feet tall under supportive indoor conditions. It does not climb and does not need a moss pole or other vertical support.
For natural light indoors, place it directly in a south-facing window or directly in a west-facing window. It prefers approximately 2,000–4,000 foot-candles at the leaves. Foot-candles simply tell you how much light is actually reaching your plant. This is a high-light plant, and substantial usable light is especially important if flowering indoors is the goal. If new leaves become progressively smaller, petioles become increasingly stretched or the entire plant begins reaching strongly toward the window, check how much light is reaching the foliage. Gradually acclimate a plant that has been growing in significantly lower light before exposing it to much stronger direct sun.
Under a grow light, use a full-spectrum 5000–6500K fixture positioned approximately 8–12 inches above the canopy, aiming for the same 2,000–4,000 foot-candles at the leaves. Kelvin describes the color of the light, while foot-candles tell you how much light is actually reaching the plant. As the plant becomes taller and wider, keep enough of the canopy beneath the fixture to support the developing foliage rather than concentrating the light on only the tallest leaf.
Water when your plant needs watered. During active growth in strong light, its substantial foliage can support considerable water use. Allow the plant to use a good portion of the available moisture before watering thoroughly again rather than keeping the root zone continuously saturated. Its thick rhizomes and fleshy roots need both moisture and oxygen, so use a well-draining mix that retains some moisture while allowing excess water to move through the pot. Water use can slow considerably as light, temperature and active growth decrease, so check the root zone rather than following a calendar.
Watch the newest growth for changes. New leaves should emerge upright and gradually unfurl into increasingly substantial blades as a young plant matures. Natural splitting along the leaves is common as the large blades move and age, so a split leaf alone does not indicate poor health. Progressively smaller leaves, increasingly stretched growth or strong leaning toward the window can be reasons to evaluate available light. If the root zone suddenly remains wet much longer than usual, look at changes in light, temperature and active growth before adding more water.
Success looks like strong upright fans, healthy roots, increasingly substantial new foliage and additional shoots developing as the rhizome expands. A young plant does not need to flower to be thriving. Flowering comes with maturity and enough usable light, while increasing leaf size, strong new growth and continued development from the base are excellent indicators that the plant’s environment is supporting it.
