Caesalpinia gilliesii

Caesalpinia gilliesii
Yellow bird of Paradise
Fabaceae Family

Compiled by the Master Gardeners
of the University of Arizona Pima County Cooperative Extension.

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Form: large irregular shrub; can be trained to small tree
Seasonality: deciduous; may be evergreen in warmer areas
Size: 5-10ft, spread 4-6ft; rapid growth
Leaves: bipinnate, 3-5in long, finely cut ferny appearance

bipinnately compound leaf of
Caesalpinia gilliesii
Flowers: on branch terminals, informal racine of solid yellow flowers with long red stamens; bloom mainly in spring and early summer, then sporadically; 4-5in long; showy
Fruit: tan fuzzy pod, dehiscent, curled, persistent on branches unless removed
Stems/Trunks: greenish stems, noticeable lenticils, spineless; slender trunk if any
Range/Origin: originally Argentina, now naturalized throughout SW US
Hardiness: to 15°F or lower
LANDSCAPE VALUE:

informal shrub
summer color
revegetation and naturalizing
attracts hummingbirds

blooms on caesalpinia gilliesii
(note red stamens)
CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS:

Exposure: full sun
Water: deep and infrequent; naturalizes along roadsides and in washes
Soil: adaptable, prefers sandy rocky soils
Propagation: seed
Maintenance: low to moderate; pod cleanup, removal of volunteer seedlings; pruning of cold damaged branches

NOTES:
aka "Native Bird"
seed pods are poisonous
more cold hardy than C. pulcherrima, so usually does not require pruning of winter damage

Caesalpinia species comparison
	C. pulcherrima	C. mexicana	C. gilliesii
flowers	red	solid yellow	yellow with red stamen
spines	present	?	no
leaves	ferny	broader (leaflets)	ferny
hardiness	least, typically heavily damaged in winter	moderate, okay in warm microclimates	most hardy

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This page was first created August 2, 2002 and last modified March 16, 2006.

Web page design and photographs by Toni Moore, Master Gardener
email to: tmoore1@flash.net
© 2002 - 2006 Arizona Board of Regents. All contents copyrighted. All rights reserved.

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