I always thought it needed full sun.

I have a few, all in fun sun. One is basically a weed - that is, it was here long ago and very long neglected before we took over the property. It's enormous, thrives, with spectacular blooms. Apart from pruning it a bit from time to time, I do nothing to it. I never water it directly (it may get some when I water the fruit trees nearby, but I never put water on it) and have never fertilized it.

The other two I planted as little saplings. I did water them the first summer to establish them, since then nothing except the pruning. Again, possible occasional water if I'm watering something else, but never directly and no more than once or twice a month. They're happy and healthy and blooming despite a few years of freeze/drought cycles.

All are in the ground, in full sun, so maybe that is the difference?

I don't think they like being in a pot.

I have 3 orange bird of paradise, planted in the ground, they have never froze. My white bird of paradise with 7 hugh stalks, taller than the house froze Feb 2010. It is just now coming back. I would have dug it up, but its trunk is about 5 ft wide, so I left it. It was such a beautiful display plant before it froze. Barbra

They do not do well in pots, I have one in almost full shade that blooms regularly, another in full sun that is a spotty bloomer. Sometimes they will not bloom for a few years after being repotted either.
Barb, our white one, which was bout 15' tall and bloomed all year did not survive Ike and the freezes that followed. We tried to dig it out but gave up, man that thing has a massive root ball
Tally HO!

Tally, we could not dig it out either, but to my suprise it has come back. There is new growth from the sides of the original plant base. 4 new plants are coming out next to the craters where we cut off the original frozen stalks. We just saw the new growth last week, and it froze Feb 2010. My Dr Moy ginger, and variegated rubber tree, are also coming back up. Its strange, all this time there was no sign of life, and now everything is starting to come back. I wish I would not have been so quick to dig up my papaya, and brugmansia plants when they froze. Barbra

We live in Victoria, B.C. Can Bird of Paradise survive in the ground here? We have 4 big pots we always bring in in the winter. They won’t survive in pots I think, but in the ground. I keep my citrus outside, under protection. in pots.

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Victoria BC is zone 9A according to the internet so it should certainly survive in the ground. It survives here in San Antonio in 8B, although in most winters it dies back to the roots. If I doesn't I cut it back anyway as it grows back fast and looks healthier. Has it been blooming well for you in pots?

I do remember reading once that you need to plant Bird of Paradise well away from any structure/slab because it can case damage if they do well because they will get very large. Aren't they tropical or even sub-tropical?

Years ago as I remember, everything tropical use freeze in my zone 8B. I had never seen citrus trees (for example) except in the Texas valley where it's zone 9B. Now where I am in Houston, they've all become more popular and they're available in the nurseries here. I have three citrus in my yard that are about 5-6 years old and have only been frost bitten slightly in years past but if a hard freeze ever hits they'll probably not make it. I have 2 oranges and a lemon.