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 the 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,

Buda or Kyle, winter cold snaps – such as the one we had earlier this year –

will  freeze them back, and generally you can expect them to reach a height

and width of only 5 - 7 feet.

 

A showy flower is what they’re 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.

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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 back-

ground to its showy flowers. As the flowers are pollinated, usually by butter-

flies, 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 weath-

ering 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 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 6 to

8 feet tall 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 of the Rio Grande Valley. This variety has golden, fragrant flowers

borne on racemes 3 to 6 inches long. Both grow under the same conditions

and will add spectacular color to your perennial landscape while keeping

your water bill to a minimum.

 

Want so see a great specimen? Just drive to the entryway of

Leisurewoods, on FM 1626. There’s a beautiful example on the right side

of the entryway. This plant has been returning every spring for as long

as I can remember.   Happy Gardening Everyone!