Perennial Bird of Paradise

If your ideas of gardening leans to doing more with less, there are some plants you should not 'grow' without. Many of the well-known perennials fall into this category. The common xeriscape plants such as lantana, salvia's, and daylilies, among others, are all beautiful, don't need much water, and flower constantly. And then occasionally you run across a plant that is unusual, easy to grow, and stunningly beautiful. Such is the Bird of Paradise.

This is not the Bird of Paradise that you often see as large specimen plants in hotel and office atriums or in floral arrangements. The Latin name for that tropical variety has the genus name of Strelitzia. The perennial variety that we are talking of has the genus name of Caesalpinia, sometimes also called Poinciana. The species name that follows the genus name tells more specifically how that particular plant behaves. In the genus Caesalpinia, there are three species of the perennial type of Bird of Paradise.

All species of this shrub or small tree are evergreen close to the coast. Here they tend to lose their leaves in the winter and can even die back to the ground in a really cold winter. They are, however, root hardy and will return quickly the next spring if they die down. You will find them to be quick growers to 10-12 feet tall and wide. You can trim them to size at any time to keep them compact if needed. They like a hot, sunny spot to do their best. They bloom year round in warmer climates but here they would start flowering in early to mid-summer and continue until cold weather arrived. Grow them in well-drained soil, watering deeply and infrequently only in times of drought. They only problem with this plant is that the pods and seeds are poisonous and can cause serious illness if eaten.

The Mexican Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia mexicana) is a lemon yellow flowering species. It is the slowest growing of the three. This species would be considered the most evergreen of the bunch. This is the only one that is native to the southern United States or northeast Mexico.

The Bird of Paradise Bush (Caesalpinia gilliesii) also has yellow flowers but it has the added feature of having bright red stamens that are 4-5 inches long. These red stamens will attract the hummingbirds to your yard. It is the most open branched of the bunch. While it is not native to Texas, it has naturalized in West Texas. It's native to Argentina and Uruguay.

The Red Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) is also known by three other names. Dwarf Poinciana, Fence Flower, and Pride of Barbados. It is called Fence Flower because it can be used as a fast growing screen hedge (bear in mind it may not be there in the winter!). It is also the national flower of Barbados. It has the fastest growth of the three though it would be the first to lose its leaves in cold weather. The flowers are red or orange clusters with long red stamens. Also a good hummingbird attractor.

This is absolutely one of the most beautiful flowering plants that I have ever seen. When mature and in bloom it really, really stands out. Its beauty combined with its low maintenance requirements makes it an unbeatable plant for the horticulturally challenged or experienced gardener.