If I could only add one plant to the landscape a year, my choice at the
moment would be Pride of Barbados.This member of the pea family
(Caesalpinia pulcherrima) is one of the showiest of landscape perennials
in central Texas.
Native to the West Indies, it is also known as dwarf poinciana. In the
tropics it grows into a large shrub or small tree. If you plant one around
Austin, winter cold snaps – such as the one we had earlier this year – will
freeze them back, and they’ll reach a height and width of only 5 - 7 feet.
A showy flower is what they are all about. The flower clusters are orangey-
red with yellow edges, approximately 8 to 10 inches across. Each cluster has
crinkled petals 2 to 3 inches across. In addition the flowers produce bright
red stamens that extend beyond each flower.
The main requirement for ‘prides’ is sun. Plant them in full to part sun, and
they will flourish. They aren’t too fussy about soil, and will be equally happy
whether it’s acid or alkaline soil.
Another important requirement is good drainage. They have shown a great
tolerance for drought-like conditions and are a great candidate for xeriscape
gardening and water conservation.
Its fern-like leaves offer a nice background to its showy flowers. As the
flowers are pollinated, usually by butterflies, they produce bean pods. By
fall, the seed can be harvested for planting in the spring.
When dried, the bean seed coat is very hard and needs nicking or
weathering to germinate easily. I usually collect the seed and give them
an acid bath before planting. With warm ground, the scarified seed will
begin to grow in 2 to 3 weeks.
Pride of Barbados is an herbaceous perennial in our climate. It breaks
dormancy in the spring, flowers mostly in the summer and fall, and
freezes back with the first cold spells in late fall and winter. You are
almost assured of a comeback in the spring with a layer of mulch and
occasional winter watering.
If you are familiar with this plant and would like to grow some similar
varieties, there are two more of these desert flowering plants to consider.
The desert or Texas Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia gilliesii) grows to 6 to
8 feet and has similar fern-like foliage with large yellow flower clusters
with large red stamens.
The Mexican Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia mexicana) is actually a
native to the Rio Grande Valley. This variety has golden flowers borne
on racemes 3 to 6 inches long and is fragrant.
Both grow under the same conditions and will add spectacular color to
your perennial landscape while keeping your water bill to a minimum.
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