Sunday, September 30, 2007

Red Bird Of Paradise

Caesalpinia pulcherrima

The Red Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) is like the Energizer Bunny®, it just keeps going and going and going. These shrubs begin blooming in May and continue into mid-October, but they are at their most spectacular during the worst heat of the summer.

Since we don’t have a fall changing of the leaves here in the Phoenix area, the closest we get to the beautiful reds and golds is in the flowers of the Red Bird of Paradise. For more info on this shrub, check out a previous post.

19 comments:

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen said...

Wow, those colours are stunning and do indeed bring autumn colours to mind. Lovely plant that!

Anonymous said...

It does look like fall. Beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Amazing colours in the photo - remind me of The Grand Canyon - is it nearby?
TopVeg

Sisah said...

Caesalpinia gilliesii I saw in Italy for the first time a few years ago and thought: What an exotic looking plant, you have to find out more about it. But the one on your photo made me sigh even more...I am really living in the wrong climate zone. What a beauty.

Acey said...

wow that's beautiful!

Mark said...

Hi Aiyana,

I bet if the bunny saw these beauties he would bang his drum even longer, either that or fall off the cliff.

Cheers Mark

Anonymous said...

What a vibrant beauty and the fact that the blooms last so long is great.
Sara from farmingfriends

Anonymous said...

That's some fabulous color, Aiyana! Thanks for sharing the photo, and happy GTS!

Anonymous said...

That is a gorgeous tree. I'm going to go look up what Zones it can live in (I'm in Zone 5). Happy GTS!

Silly Goose said...

WOW! We have nothing like that here in Ontario. Not this year anyway, The leaves are kind of ho-hum here. Not enough rain in 2007 to make the autumn colours sing.

Jean said...

The colors are amazing! Wish they would grow here.

Anonymous said...

The colors are amazing! Really, really beautiful. Thanks for sharing!

bs said...

fantastic! i don't have anything like that in my garden now... thanks for the treat!

Alice said...

That is a most beautiful flower. Who needs Fall colour when you can have that one all summer ...lol

Muum said...

This is a wonderful flower. I am amazed at your knowledge and enjoy learning something new, and seeing new plants on your blog.

Anonymous said...

OMG, that is beautiful.
I have never heard of a red bird of paradise.
Is it the same family as a regular bird of paradise?
It sure looks different.

Aiyana said...

Chigiy,
No, this is in a different family and genus than the one usually referred to as the Tropical Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) which is in the Musaceae Family. The Caesalpinia is in the Fabaceae Family. We don't see a lot of the Tropical Bird of Paradise here--mostly because it requires a lot of shade in summer and a good deal of water.

Julie said...

WOW...it is spectacular!!! Nice colors and very long blooming...awesome!
Julie

Unknown said...

Yes the other 'bird of paradise; is a relative of the banana which is closer related to the grasses, rather than a tree.