Red Bird of Paradise

Name: Red Bird of Paradise
Brand: Outdoor Dream Builders

Caesalpinia pulcherrima

A tropical-looking shrub with showy red powderpuff blooms that attract butterflies and hummingbirds from spring through fall.

Hardy in USDA zones 9-11; freezes to the ground below the mid-20s but reliably resprouts, and it revels in extreme low-desert summer heat.

AMWUA Notes

A moderate-water heat lover that thrives in reflected sun; classic hard-cutback shrub for reliable summer color.

Care Guide

💧Watering

Water every 7-10 days in summer for continuous bloom; it is heat-loving and drought-tolerant once established but flowers more with steady moisture.

✂️Pruning

It blooms on new wood, so cut it back hard, nearly to the ground, in late winter after frost danger passes; this drives a flush of fresh growth and heavy summer bloom.

🌱Fertilizing

Minimal feeding needed; a light spring application supports the hard-pruned regrowth.

🛡️Pests

Generally pest-free, though seeds and pods are toxic if ingested, so site thoughtfully around children and pets.

☀️Seasonal Notes

A warm-season performer that stays dormant and cut-back through winter, freezing back in frost, then exploding into red bloom from late spring through fall heat.

Soil, Feeding & Propagation

🪨Soil

Adaptable to most well-drained soils; tolerates caliche and alkaline pH 7.5-8.5.

💧Drainage

Needs well-drained soil.

🌱Nutrient Needs

Low feeder.

🌰Propagation

Easily from scarified seed; often blooms the first year.

📐Spacing

4-5 ft

🌳Roots & Placement

Non-aggressive roots; safe near pools, walls, and foundations.

Placement Tips

•Plan for a 5 ft mound; space 4-5 ft apart or use as a bold single color accent.
•Loves reflected heat, so it excels against south and west walls and around pool decks where other plants fade.
•Low litter and clean summer habit make it genuinely pool-friendly; just site the winter cut-back stubs behind other plants for looks.
•Give it the hottest, sunniest spot in the yard for maximum flowering.