There’s no way to determine the flower color until it blooms. It takes 3-5 years for a Bird of Paradise to bloom once it’s planted. Ideally they do best planted in the ground. My mother had a BoP planted in a half barrel that did well, but had to be divided every few years because it would outgrow the container. I live in zone 9 in California. We have a BoP in our front yard that’s about 30 years old. It blooms from November to February. We have to cut it back every year because it gets too wide.

Once I know what type it is, I could decide whether to let it be a houseplant (in case of white, because there is no way it would become a mature blooming plant in my apartment) or try to coax it to bloom (in case of orange).

Jacqi, mine is at least 10 years old, admittedly not getting much space or sun...

A white bird is a MUCH bigger plant than an orange bird. The size of pot will not allow whatever it is to grow to it’s full potential. Either repot into a much larger pot And put in the sun, or give it to someone that can add it to a garden...in the ground!

Tootsie, wouldn't being pot bound help trigger blooming if it were the orange variety? That's what I come to understand from various sources..

It seems pretty tall with big leaves, so I'd say it's a Strelitzia Nicolai, which produces white flowers.

That's what I suspect

The size of those leaves are indicative of Strelitzia nicolai, which produces the white flowers but it may never bloom in a container that small.

Would it bloom in a bigger container with only pertial sun?

It's the Giant Bird (S. nicolai), no question. And also, as mentioned above, they are ENORMOUS plants and won't ever be able to flower as a "houseplant".

I am going to keep it outdoors in the small container this season, fertilize with high potassium fertilizer and give it a sunny window for winter. Just in case.... If no flower stalk appears, I will repot in a 15 inch container and treat it as foliage houseplant.

There is no need to use a high potassium fertilizer, thats a myth. Regular 3-1-2 is fine.

Paradise