Great Design Plant: Red Bird-of-Paradise Soars With Color
Fiery bursts of red-orange flowers bring hot summer gardens to life, while this shrub's drought tolerance keeps the living easy
Noelle Johnson
July 14, 2013
When people first see the vibrantly colored flowers of red bird-of-paradise, they literally stop in their tracks to stare at them. Orange-red flowers in varying shades appear on this shrub in spring through summer. Red bird-of-paradise loves warm temperatures and lots of sun, making it perfect if you live in the U.S. South or Southwest.
Browse more flowers by color
Browse more flowers by color
Botanical name: Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Common names: Red bird-of-paradise, dwarf poinciana, peacock flower, pride-of-Barbados
Origin: Native to the West Indies and Mexico
Where it will grow: Hardy to 10 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 8 to 11); find your zone
Water requirement: Medium
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 6 to 10 feet tall and wide
Benefits and tolerances: Drought tolerant once established, but it does best if watered once a week in spring through fall; attracts butterflies and hummingbirds
Seasonal interest: Bright orange-red flowers appear in April through September.
When to plant: Spring, summer or fall
Common names: Red bird-of-paradise, dwarf poinciana, peacock flower, pride-of-Barbados
Origin: Native to the West Indies and Mexico
Where it will grow: Hardy to 10 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zones 8 to 11); find your zone
Water requirement: Medium
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 6 to 10 feet tall and wide
Benefits and tolerances: Drought tolerant once established, but it does best if watered once a week in spring through fall; attracts butterflies and hummingbirds
Seasonal interest: Bright orange-red flowers appear in April through September.
When to plant: Spring, summer or fall
Distinguishing traits. The crowning glory of red bird-of-paradise is its beautiful flowers that are held aloft above the large shrub.
Varying shades of red, orange and yellow appear on each flower, making these shrubs highly desirable in the landscape. Seedpods will follow once the flowers fade. The flowers are a huge favorite of hummingbirds.
In tropical areas, such as Central America, red bird-of-paradise can become invasive.
Varying shades of red, orange and yellow appear on each flower, making these shrubs highly desirable in the landscape. Seedpods will follow once the flowers fade. The flowers are a huge favorite of hummingbirds.
In tropical areas, such as Central America, red bird-of-paradise can become invasive.
The foliage consists of tiny leaflets that lend a tropical look to a desert landscape. Dormant in winter, red bird-of-paradise will die back to the ground, but it will grow back quickly in spring.
A variety called 'Phoenix Bird' has lovely yellow flowers.
How to use it. This large shrub looks great planted in groups of three or five. Red bird-of-paradise along a bare wall will add beauty to a formerly bare expanse. It is suitable to plant around swimming pools and can also be used as an informal hedge or to screen your pool equipment or air conditioning unit from view.
While many shrubs cannot handle areas with hot, reflected sun, red bird-of-paradise will thrive in these inhospitable spots. For maximum color impact, add purple trailing lantana (Lantana montevidensis, zones 8 to 10) in front along with groups of angelita daisy (Tetraneuris acaulis, zones 5 to 9) for great color contrast throughout the warm months.
While many shrubs cannot handle areas with hot, reflected sun, red bird-of-paradise will thrive in these inhospitable spots. For maximum color impact, add purple trailing lantana (Lantana montevidensis, zones 8 to 10) in front along with groups of angelita daisy (Tetraneuris acaulis, zones 5 to 9) for great color contrast throughout the warm months.
Planting and care. Red bird-of-paradise isn't fussy. Plant it in an area with full sun in well-drained soil. Maintenance is simple: Prune back severely in winter to 1 foot high. Once spring arrives it will grow back quickly, and it will begin blooming in April or May. In colder areas (zone 8), mulch the base of the shrub in winter to protect the roots.
To extend the flowering period, lightly prune by removing the top 2 feet in August, which will stimulate new blooms through October.
Next: More shrubs with beautiful flowers and foliage
To extend the flowering period, lightly prune by removing the top 2 feet in August, which will stimulate new blooms through October.
Next: More shrubs with beautiful flowers and foliage
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My Pride of Barbados is about 4-5 years old and has never flowered it does get sun and part shade. The only thing I haven't tried is fertilizing and I am in central Texas and it gets hot, hot here - it should thrive I've seen it other parts of the world. It's early July - can I force it with fertilizer? At a loss - help.
astsysstr-Is your Pride of Barbados in the ground? Some of my potted ones didn't grow so well. Their roots need the room to really spread out. Even though these plants are quite drought tolerant, they do like a lot of water. I think fertilizer will help.
In the Philippines, this shrub is more like our fire tree when immature. Leaves, flowers are all the same. The seeds are collected dried in pods. A somewhat counterpart of the Japanese sakura when planted in large spaces together.