The race is on (pink Caesalpinia vs. cool weather)

9 years ago

Hi everyone,

I've posted about this plant before, the pink form of Caesalpinia pulcherrima (the so-called "red bird of paradise" which usually comes in orange-red, plus the yellow variant 'Phoenix bird').

I love the regular orange-red type of this plant and grow it as well, but this pink form is a bit more shy with the flowers. And when I say a bit more shy, I mean last autumn, its first, it just starting making flower buds when the weather cooled and the buds started falling off. Ugh.

I think I'm in for the same abuse this autumn, hah! It's JUST barely starting to make flowers (the red form has been blooming for many months now all over the valley of course). We'll see who wins: the flowers or the cool weather.

Lots of us on this forum ordered a bunch of seeds of this pink form of Caesalpinia pulcherrima and we all got seedlings but none survived. I bought this guy online as a tiny seedling in 2013 and now it's 7 feet tall with five different branches. We'll see what we see. If the cold wins this year, OUT this plant goes!

Happy gardening,
Grant

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

azbolt
9 years ago
I had planted one (well, MANY, but only one survived) and finally this month it bloomed for the first time....it was orange. I was quite bummed. I hope you have better luck Grant...

Kevin
Laura81
9 years ago
If you are going to throw it out can I have it? I would like to try my hand at it. Good Luck!!
Related Discussions
GoldRush vs Pink Lady
Q
Comments (19)
Kokos, aluminum roof flashing is available in rolls at any home improvement big box. Home Depot has it pre-painted in a nice range of colors that make it more attractive where that's an issue. Roofing supply stores will have a better selection of thinner, cheaper rolls- at least in stock. As far as the amount of coons- you can't know how the population will be from season to season. Some seasons I've killed over thirty, more often it's around 7 or 8. My pellet gun is 1,000 fps but I don't know what velocity is required as minimum to penetrate their soft skulls. I'm surprised there are so many coons in your neighborhood. Usually a single family will drive out intruders and control a certain amount of territory I'm told although one year I must have had a Muslim family here. I stopped killing them and just used flashing on my trees, but towards the end of the season I got tired of them tearing up small nursery trees that weren't protected and also it was beginning to smell like a stockyard with all their poop. I had to kill several females and their cubs and only one male, so go figure.
...See More
Pink Caesalpinia (red bird of paradise), one more try!
Q
Comments (18)
I use fingernail clippers to clip the seeds to expose the white meat inside, but just a bit, then I soak them overnight in water. I don't know if it's required, but it doesn't hurt. I do get volunteers around my garden, so they're not too tough from seed. Let us know which types of Caesalpinia pulcherrima you try and how they work out. Glad you like my Echium too. I'm still so suprised it has done so well here for so long. It self sows around my garden and I love it. It gets a bit tired looking mid summer but then perks up in autumn and does great. I'll check out some of Annie's other Echiums too. Great stuff! I get her catalog/emails and grow a lot of plants from her. Fun! Happy gardening all! Grant, checking each day for any signs of flower buds on the pink form of Caesalpinia pulcherrima, LOL.
...See More
Pink Brandywine Sudduth Strain vs. OTV
Q
Comments (26)
(For a red slicer I tend to go with fairly productive medium sized tomatoes with what I consider to be good flavor. That would include things like RED BRANDYWINE (Not related to regular Brandywine), Mule Team, Box Car Willie, almost any Bulgarian tomato (they all tend to be sweet), and then for larger and later tomatoes of great flavor I like things such as Marianna's Peace, Italian Sweet and Stump of the World.) You've got some pinks in there with the reds About Box Car Willie and Mule Team, both good, but I think even better is another one that Joe's father bred, which is Red Barn. Joe found the above three and also Great Divide and Pasture already named in glass jars in a toolhouse. He couldn't germinate them, sent them to me, and I was able to get the ones I named above going, but there were three that I couldn't germinate and I always wondered what they might have turned out to be. Carolyn, who sometimes cuts and pastes info from a post she's answering b'c this Senior Citizen cannot always remember all that was said, and hates going back to a previous post to check. LOL
...See More
Share your hot weather simple recipes : )
Q
Comments (101)
Mamapinky, I think my DH’s taste buds have suffered the same issue as yours – too much fried food in his past! BTW, didn't you mention a laundry channel on youtube you'll be hosting (on another thread?) I can't find the thread, but let us know for sure - I'll sub, and my first question pre-youtube is how to get those 'screaming hot whites' - please do a vid on that! Cathy, I laughed out loud thinking of you spitting that tomato skin out and making the comment! Too funny! I have a good rapport with mine green grocer.. maybe coz I’m the only one asking for and buying some of the more unusual things here : ) Uh, chocolate chips in the yogurt bars… now you’re talkin’!!! Sherri1058… and guess what we’ve been enjoying? Perfect with fajitas! Thank you so much for sharing this!
...See More
grant_in_arizona
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for the comments. Sorry yours was orange, Kevin. This one just started to bloom when it got "chilly" last year and they were definitely pink, or at least pink-ISH. We'll see if it does a better job this year. Each branch has a ton of buds, so I'm hopeful. No matter how pink, I'm not sure if it's worth keeping if it's going to bloom THIS late, hah! I'll definitely post before I rip it out, Laura, LOL.

Happy gardening all, thanks for the comments!
Grant
grant_in_arizona
Original Author
9 years ago
Okay, THIS year the blooms are ahead of the cool weather (for the most part, LOL). Here are a couple of pics. I'd call these pink. I'll grab another pic in the morning. What do you think? Happy gardening!

{{gwi:421874}}

{{gwi:421875}}

Happy gardening!
Grant
azbolt
9 years ago
So THAT'S what they look like! Pink for sure...

Kevin
grant_in_arizona
Original Author
9 years ago
Yup, pink for sure, Kevin and all,

{{gwi:421876}}

But here's the bottom line: the weather is still GORGEOUS and the dumb plant is already shutting down. The youngest flower buds are already aborting and the new flowers are tired, tired tired. This is the same routine as last year. I really don't think I could recommend this variety for our climate when the red (and yellow 'Phoenix' cultivar) of C. pulcherrima has been blooming for months and months and months locally.

I'm so displeased in fact, I ripped it out and replaced with with a pink Malvaviscus drummondii that was needing a home. Now THAT'S a performer here, LOL.

Happy gardening all,
Grant
colinhanke
9 years ago
Grant I have that same sculpture with the sphere and arrow through it in my living room! Excellent taste!
grant_in_arizona
Original Author
9 years ago
Hah, that's fun chanke, thanks for mentioning it! Having inside is a really fun idea! I let mine get ungulfed with either Alamo vine (Merremia dissecta) or "climbing snapdragon" (Asarina scandens), depending on my mood. Right now it's got some youngish cuttings of "Mexican flame vine" (Senecio confusus). Love your idea of having it inside. Any pics? Happy gardening, thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: Pics from my little garden, Dec 2014

The race is on (pink Caesalpinia vs. cool weather)

Comments (8)

azbolt

Laura81

Related Discussions

grant_in_arizona
Original Author

grant_in_arizona
Original Author

azbolt

grant_in_arizona
Original Author

colinhanke

grant_in_arizona
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

The race is on (pink Caesalpinia vs. cool weather)

Comments (8)

azbolt

Laura81

Related Discussions

grant_in_arizonaOriginal Author

grant_in_arizonaOriginal Author

azbolt

grant_in_arizonaOriginal Author

colinhanke

grant_in_arizonaOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

grant_in_arizona
Original Author

grant_in_arizona
Original Author

grant_in_arizona
Original Author

grant_in_arizona
Original Author