Bean pods on bushes with orange, yellow and red flowers – Growing tips

Using bean pods to grow your bird of paradise plants is uncomplicated and well worth the effort.

Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Red Bird of Paradise, is a species of flowering plant in the Fabaceae, pea family.

common desert bush with orange and red flowers

Other common names are Poinciana, Peacock Flower, Mexican Bird of Paradise, Dwarf Poinciana, Pride of Barbados, and flamboyan-de-jardin.

Red Bird of Paradise drought tolerant shrubs

This is especially true for the Red Bird of Paradise bushes, genus Caesalpina,  along the roads in Tucson and Phoenix, also common in TX, Mexico and CA.

beautiful bushes with orange red flowers in the desert

This drought tolerant plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and birds.

Are the Bird of Paradise Bean Pods edible?  NO, all Bird of Paradise plants and bushes are poisonous if ingested.

bean pods on caesalpinia pulcherrima

Bean Pods on the Bird of Paradise bushes and shrubs need to turn brown before you can germinate the seeds.  The green bean pods pictured above and below are too young and need more time to dry on the desert plant.

Yellow Bird of Paradise bush with bean pods

Red Bird of Paradise, Caesalpinia pulcherrima,  is native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas and is also the NATIONAL flower of the Caribbean island of Barbados, which is why you may hear it called Pride of Barbados.

red bird of paradise

PLANT AND GROW – How to grow bird of paradise plants, bushes, shrubs from seeds.

To germinate the seeds of your bird of paradise perennial plant first step is to score the hard outer coating.  I use sandpaper to lightly scrape the seeds then soak them in warm water for 24-48 hours.  They will germinate quickly like most seeds in the bean, Legume family, do.

To grow your Red Bird of Paradise, plant the soaked seed in peat pots.  Cover the seeds lightly with damp vermiculite or a good soil.

germinated seedling of bird of paradise bush

You should have bird of paradise seedlings in a few days to a week depending on how hard the outer coat of the seeds are.

peat pots

vermiculite

Bird of Paradise seeds need at least 8 hours of sun, but not direct sun it will be too hot! You can start to give them a little more direct sun after the first leaves appear.

Peat Pots are great and make growing and transplanting your Mexican, Yellow or Red Bird of Paradise seedlings much easier.

Start your seeds indoors and when you are ready to plant your Bird of Paradise just put the entire pot in the ground.  Roots will penetrate the peat pot and the pot disintegrates enriching the soil.

large flowering red bird of paradise desert bush

The Red Bird of Paradise is a deciduous (loses its leaves) shrub that thrives in  full sun and has bright red and orange flowers that grow on long, thin stalks. The leaves are lacy,  ferny-looking.

grow Bird of Paradise shrubs from bean pods

This is an extraordinarily heat resistant, drought tolerant flowering bush that is a perfect addition to any yard.  The Red Bird of Paradise is a fairly fast grower, and can get large, so periodic trimming is suggested. See the photo above of large flowering bushes commonly seen along the streets in Tucson and Phoenix Arizona along with Texas and California.