Caesalpinia

Caesalpinia can be shrubs, trees, or climbing shrubs with evergreen or deciduous, feathery foliage and terminal panicles or racemes of large bright flowers with protruding stamens in shades of yellow, fiery red, and orange. Blooming in summer for long periods, they attract hummingbirds to the garden. Caesalpinia plants perform best in sun in well-drained soils. They thrive in the desert heat and can survive on little supplemental irrigation. Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Red Bird of Paradise) and Caesalpinia gilliesii (Bird of Paradise Shrub) are the most widely cultivated species. They make wonderful specimens, accents, or border shrubs in tropical or subtropical areas.