Shrub
Yellow bird of paradise
Erythrostemon gilliesii · Fabaceae
Also called: Desert bird of paradise, Bird of paradise bush, Yellow poinciana
Yellow bird of paradise (Erythrostemon gilliesii) is a low-water shrub well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It grows to 6-10 ft H x 6-10 ft W in full sun, with a fast growth rate.
Yellow bird of paradise at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun; tolerates reflected heat.
- Mature size
- 6-10 ft H x 6-10 ft W
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Bloom
- Bright yellow petals with long, showy bright-red stamens., Late spring through summer (May-September), peaking in the heat.
- Cold hardiness
- Hardy to about 10-15 F (USDA zones 8-11); root-hardy and recovers from frost dieback.
- Soil
- Tolerant of most well-drained soils, including poor, rocky, and alkaline desert soils; needs good drainage.
- Native range
- Native to Argentina and Uruguay (South America); widely naturalized in the southwestern U.S.
- Best used as
- Accent or specimen shrub, Informal screen or hedge, Color in hot, dry beds, Desert and xeriscape gardens
- Wildlife
- Flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees.
- Toxicity
- Green seed pods and seeds are toxic if ingested, causing severe gastrointestinal irritation; keep away from children and pets.
How to grow Yellow bird of paradise in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Deeply water established plants every 2-3 weeks in summer and monthly or less in winter; tolerates drought but blooms and stays denser with occasional deep irrigation.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Generally needs no fertilizer in desert soils; as a legume it fixes its own nitrogen. Excess nitrogen reduces flowering.
Pruning & care
Prune in late winter to shape and remove frost-damaged or leggy wood; can be cut back hard to renew an overgrown plant. Avoid shearing into a formal ball.
Notes
Reclassified from Caesalpinia gilliesii to Erythrostemon gilliesii; older references list it under Caesalpinia. The most cold-hardy and drought-tolerant of the desert bird-of-paradise shrubs. Reseeds readily; deciduous to semi-deciduous with pungent foliage.
Sources: AMWUA Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Tohono Chul / Tucson Botanical Gardens