Caesalpinia gilliesii – Bird-of-paradise Shrub

Caesalpinia gilliesii - Bird-of-paradise Shrub, Yellow Bird of Paradise (flowers)

Caesalpinia gilliesii - Bird-of-paradise Shrub, Yellow Bird of Paradise

Caesalpinia gilliesii - Bird-of-paradise Shrub, Yellow Bird of Paradise (fruit)

Caesalpinia gilliesii - Bird-of-paradise Shrub, Yellow Bird of Paradise

Plant Name

Scientific Name: Caesalpinia gilliesii

Synonym: Poinciana gilliesii

Common Names: Bird-of-paradise Shrub, Yellow Bird of Paradise

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial, Semi-evergreen to frost deciduous

Growth Habit: Tree, Shrub

Arizona Native Status: Introduced. This naturalized ornamental plant is native to South America.

Habitat: Desert (upper elevation), Upland. This commonly cultivated plant can also be found growing wild in grassland pastures, along roadsides, and in other disturbed areas.

Flower Color: Yellow

Flowering Season: Spring, Summer

Height: Up to 10 feet (3 m) tall

Description: The flowers are clustered at the stem tips. The individual flowers have 5 yellow petals and conspicuous, red, 3 1/2 inch (9 cm) long stamens. The flowers are followed by flat, oblong, green to reddish bean pods that are dotted with red, glandular hairs. The bean pods dry to a tan color and split open and curl when mature. The fern-like leaves are alternate and bipinnately compound with numerous, small, oblong, bluish green secondary leaflets.

Special Characteristics

Butterfly Plant – The flowers attract butterflies.

Hummingbird Flower – The flowers attract hummingbirds.

Poisonous – The seeds and seed pods are toxic.

Classification

Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Rosidae
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae – Pea family
Genus: Caesalpinia L. – nicker
Species: Caesalpinia gilliesii (Wall. ex Hook.) Wall. ex D. Dietr. – bird-of-paradise shrub

More About This Plant

Arizona County Distribution Map