A bit of paradise in your garden

The Southwestern garden is filled with many strange and often bizarre-looking plants. From the convoluted "Monster Cactus” to the hairy "Old Man Cactus,” plants which live in our desert’s harsh climate often have unusual features which help them survive.

However, right alongside these alien-looking plants, you will also find shrubs and trees with colorful flowers and elegant foliage, such as the many varieties of the Caesalpinia family. Three species of Caesalpinia do well in Yuma. They are the red bird of paradise, the yellow bird of paradise and the Mexican bird of paradise.

They require no more than well-draining soil and a sunny location to thrive. Their showy blooms and lacy foliage are the perfect addition to any xeriscape. They are an easy plant to grow and are excellent for the first-time gardener. Having a plant that gives beautiful color during our hot summer months is indeed a special treat. Their seeds are poisonous, although you would have to eat a ton to really become ill.

The most common bird of paradise shrub seen in Yuma is the red bird of paradise, Caesalpinia pulcherrima. Its scientific name means "very pretty,” and its lacy leaves and colorful clusters of blooms ensure that it lives up to its name. Each flower has a yellow center with ruffled orange petals. Native to Central America and the West Indies, it is often incorrectly called the Mexican bird of paradise.

It will mature into a nice-sized shrub, six feet in height and six feet in width. If planted about five feet apart, a pleasing hedge can be created with proper pruning. Flowers appear from March to October, although I have seen plants bloom year-round.

It enjoys our desert sun and needs full exposure to bloom satisfactorily. It is a hardy plant, living in most native soils, and requires moderate water. In the winter, a once-a-month watering is sufficient; while in summer, once a week is best.

The yellow bird of paradise, Caesalpinia gillesi, is a slightly larger shrub with lacy leaves and clusters of yellow flowers with long, red stamens poking out from the center of each bloom. It comes from Argentina and enjoys our hot, desert climate. It is the most resistant to frost of the varieties mentioned.

The Mexican bird of paradise, Caesalpinia mexicana, is a shrub that can grow to a height of 10 feet and a width of 15 feet and can be trained into a small tree or a large shrub. The leaves consist of large, rounded leaflets attached to a main stem.

It originated in northern Mexico and has attractive clusters of yellow blooms similar to the yellow bird of paradise, but without the long, red stamens. It blooms from February through September. This plant will grow in partial shade.

All of the Caesalpinia varieties attract hummingbirds, as well as butterflies.

A totally different bird of paradise plant grown in Yuma is the Strelitzia reginae. It is a native of South Africa and is related to the banana plant. In South Africa, a small bird called the sun bird moves from flower to flower, sipping nectar and pollinating each bloom with pollen collected on its chest feathers and its feet.

This plant has long, pointed leaves originating from a central trunk. The leaves are around two feet in length and six inches in width. Their paddle shape gives the leaves a distinctive look. The Strelitzia reginae grows three to four feet in height and spreads by tuberous roots.

Its distinctive feature is the unusual flowers growing on tall stalks. Each flower resembles the head of an exotic bird, which is where the plant’s nickname, crane flowers, originated. Each bloom has a crest of bright orange sepals, with bluish-colored petals pointing straight ahead from under the crest.

The flower emerges from a long, green sheath, called a spathe. With its exotic crest and blue "beak” nestled above a longer green "beak,” the Strelitzia reginae bloom really does look like a crane peeking out between the leaves of the plant.

It likes full sun in order to bloom well and can be grown in a container or in the ground. Being a heavy feeder, monthly fertilizing will keep it happy. If grown in a container, remember that the plant blooms better when pot-bound. You can replace the top soil annually and leave the Strelitzia reginae in the same pot for several years.

Why not add a bit of paradise to your garden by selecting one of the many bird of paradise plants available here in Yuma.

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Karen Bowen is a member of Yuma Garden Club and can be reached by e-mail at bowenkaren@ymail.com.