The Pride of Barbados has long been a favorite in tropical gardens to add fiesta colors throughout the year. Even the scientific name Caesalpinia pulcherrima means pretty hence the other name peacock flower.
The Barbados flowers bloom in the heat 🔥 of summer when other flowering plants prefer not to be in the dog-day sun.
One thing is for sure the Pride of Barbados looks fabulous in any garden and grows as an evergreen shrub in warm regions and a deciduous shrub in colder climates
More About Barbados Caesalpinia Pulcherrima
Okay 👌 when looking at the Pride of Barbados, one should not get confused with the Mexican Bird of Paradise, which has the scientific name Caesalpinia Mexicana. The shrub also belongs to the Pea family. There are a few cultivars referred to as the bird of paradise.
Some other common names are:
Barbados Flowerfence
Peacock Flower
Mexican Bird of Paradise
Dwarf Flamboyan
Caesalpinia
Dwarf Poinciana
When Pride of Barbados grows in tropical climates, it can reach up to 20 feet tall with wide spreading branches covering the same width. When grown as a Texas superstar plant, it is a semi-dwarf poinciana plant and a hardy perennial shrub.
It grows up to 8 feet tall and can even grow that large after freezing temperatures to the ground. These attractive heat-loving plants have sharp spines, fern-like leaves, and small oval leaflets. It looks beautiful on a mixed shrub border and thrives in frost-free climates.
One thing is sure: the terminal flower clusters with orange petals and dark red flowers stand up to its name. The bowl-shaped blooms stand three inches across with unequal red and orange petals with ten prominent bright red stamens extending beyond the corolla.
Even when the striking orange-red flowers are not on display, the foliage remains interesting with its soft texture and finely divided with compound leaves stretching up to 15 inches long.
Texas Superstar Plant Pride Care
The Barbados Caesalpinia Pulcherrima will die to the ground with freezing temperatures before the growing season in zone 9b. But it remains a reliable central Texas growing as a specimen plant returning in the middle spring.
The Pride of Barbados flowers benefit from pruning; you can shape the shrubby form into a tree. Still, in tropical regions worldwide, it has survived frost or freezing temperatures down to 18°F to return. When planted on a mixed shrub border, the orange flowers attract butterflies 🦋 and birds.
Another highlight is even in San Antonio; it has an exceptional drought tolerance.
Planting Pride of Barbados Caesalpinia Pulcherrima
The best time to plant Pride of Barbados is early spring or the fall to give them a good start.
Choose a spot where the plant’s roots and branches can spread.
Select an area far from building foundations, as the foliage can crowd a structure.
Dig a hole as deep as the root ball and three times wider.
Mix some peat moss or compost into the soil and plant the tree at the same depth with the root ball in line with the soil surface.
Water well and add a layer of mulch to help retain soil moisture.
Peacock Flower Light Requirements
Provide your Pride of Barbados with full sun for the incredibly showy blossoms. If you live in hot climates, provide your dwarf Poinciana with full sun in the morning with partial shade in the late afternoon to enjoy the orange petals with spots of red and yellow flowers.
Barbados Flower Soil Needs
As a drought-tolerant tree, it does not enjoy wet feet as it can lead to root rot. For your plant, this means providing them with well-draining soil without having standing water. You can grow Barbados plants in alkaline to acidic ground as long as it is not poorly drained soils.
While it is a fast-growing tree, it is a short-lived plant. It is moderately tolerant to salty environments.
Watering Barbados Plant
Depending on the rainfall in your area, you can expect to water your Pride of Barbados weekly in the first growing season. This will allow your small tree to become established. Give a thorough soak during hot 🔥 spells. Deep watering allows the root system to grow deeper and become drought-tolerant. Hence, it will need moist soil to flourish during the first two growing seasons.
Barbados Temperature and Humidity
The small tree will die down to the ground in winter after frost or freezing temperatures but return in early spring.
While it is a tropical American plant, it is hardy in zones 9-11 and usually grows tall even after freezing to the ground the previous winter. In colder regions, provide your Pride of Barbados Caesalpinia pulcherrima with breathable mulch to help protect the six-inch long red stamens.
These plants have survived temperatures of 30°F and lower.
Fertilizing Pride of Barbados Caesalpinia Pulcherrima
Working in some compost for new plants will help the roots established. Once the Pride of Barbados is established, you can feed them every two to three years in spring. You can use a granular, organic, or liquid fertilizer.
Pruning Pride of Barbados
Depending on how you plan to grow your Bird of Paradise, you must train new plants to grow as small trees. If you want your plants to grow as shrubs, it helps to cut them down to the ground to grow and form a hedgerow. You can also remove the dead and damaged stems from the leaves.
Propagating Pride of Barbados Caesalpinia
The Barbados flower lives in the late summer heat, followed by shiny brown beans that look like seed pods you can propagate. You can also use cuttings to grow new plants. When using the little brown beans, it can take a while to germinate. We recommend soaking the seeds for 48 hours in tepid water and freshening them up after 24 hours.
You can then sow the seeds in a seeding mix and keep it moist.
Common Pests and Diseases
Regarding pests and diseases, your shrub can be susceptible to mushroom 🍄 root rot from poorly drained soils or can develop scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
The official Pride of Barbados has five showy petals standing out among the orange and red. But you can also find a pink to yellow blooms cultivar.
The evergreen shrub is hardy down to 18°F temperatures.
The Barbados flower lives in warm climates, but it has survived temperatures down to the freezing point as it dies back to return in the growing season.
The plant prefers full sun but benefits from late afternoon shade in hot climates.
Yes, you can, but sowing the seeds and germination takes very long. You must soak the seed in warm water for 48 hours before planting them.
The best time is in spring or early fall. Doing this helps your plant become established before the winter moves in.
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