Also called And flamboyan-de-jardin., Dwarf Poinciana, Mexican Bird of Paradise, Peacock Flower, Red Bird of Paradise, Barbados Flower Fence, Barbados Pride
In Singapore: Dwarf Poinciana, Pride of Barbados, Peacock Flower, 金凤花, 洋凤花, 孔雀花 (Grown in Singapore)
A shrub or small tree from tropical and subtropical America, grown for its showy red, orange or yellow flowers. It thrives in full sun and warm conditions, and it dies back in frost but regrows in spring.
Family
Fabaceae (Pea & bean family)
Grows as
Tree, Shrub
Light
Full sun
Water
Water deeply when the top few centimetres of soil dry out, and reduce water in winter.
Soil
Well-drained soil or a loamy potting mix.
Temperature
18–35 °C; protect below 10 °C and expect die-back with light frost
How easy
Easy
Safety
Toxic: Seeds and pods contain toxic compounds and can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea if eaten.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Native range
SE. Mexico to C. America
Climate
seasonally dry tropical
About
Caesalpinia pulcherrima is a species of flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae, native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas. It could be native to Central America, but its exact origin is unknown due to widespread cultivation. Common names for this species include poinciana, peacock flower, red bird of paradise, Mexican bird of paradise, dwarf poinciana, pride of Barbados, flos pavonis, and flamboyant-de-jardin.
[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Caesalpinia pulcherrima by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.