Tropicals > Caesalpinia > Caesalpinia pulcherrima > Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Pride of Barbados, Peacock Flower, Barbados Pride, Barbados Flower Fence, Dwarf Poinciana, Flamboyant Tree, Paradise Flower, Spanish Carnation, Mexican Bird of Paradise, Flowerfence
Origin: Tropical Americas.
| Family |
| Fabaceae |
| Genus |
| Caesalpinia |
| Species |
| pulcherrima |
| Category |
| Tropicals |
| Type |
| Tree (evergreen), Shrub (evergreen) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 9 - 11 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| Requires cold season protection under glass. |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H1c - H4 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| -10 - 10 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| 14 - 50 |
| Height |
| 3 - 6 m |
| Spread |
| 3 - 6 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
click to expand
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| Landscape |
| Use as a hedge or as a screen. |
| Cultivation |
| Best grown in full sun in moist, well-drained soil. Tolerates light shade, but blooms best in full sun. Established plants have good drought tolerance. Prune to shape as needed. |
| Growth |
| Fast |
| Leaf Description |
| Feathery, twice pinnate leaves are normally evergreen but sometimes deciduous in areas near the edge of the growing range. Each leaf has 5-8 pairs of pinnae and 6-10 pairs of leaflets per pinna. |
| Flower Description |
| Bowl-shaped, 5 petals that are up to 5 cm wide in 10 - 20 cm long terminal racemes, with up to 40 flowers per raceme, located at the end of branches. Flowers bloom all year-round in tropical climates. |
| Fruit Description |
| Oblong and flat, growing to 5-15 cm long, containing 8-10 seeds. Ejects the seeds when the pod splits open at maturity. |
| Colour Description |
| Flowers have orange-yellow petals with dark red stamens. Foliage is green. Seeds are dark brown to black. |
| Texture Description |
| Stems have sharp prickles along them. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| In Hawaii, flowers are sometimes used in leis. Green seed pods are cooked and eaten in Mexico. |
top