Desert Bird of Paradise, Yellow Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia gilliesii)

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htop San Antonio, TX(Zone 8b) Apr 29, 2004

Desert Bird of Paradise, Yellow Bird of Paradise
Caesalpinia gilliesii

Bird of Paradise (a Texas native tree) blooms just starting to open. Shown in April. (San Antonio, Tx.)

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Post #853154
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Toxicodendron Piedmont, MO(Zone 6a) Apr 29, 2004

Never heard of this one before...interesting flowers and I like the ferny foliage. It sort of resembles mimosa or acacia.

Post #853349
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htop San Antonio, TX(Zone 8b) Apr 29, 2004

It's a relative of the mimosa. It used to be very plentiful here until highway construction and other construction wiped out most of them. They are not readily available for purchasing and if one can find one of them, they are ery expensive. One year I asked my husband to help me dig a small one up (had a bad back problem at the time) when I saw a roadway crew was going to flatten it. He did not answer my request and it was killed. Sometimes I am still upset about this ... but I have to let go of the past. I did make him come look at the photo and reminded him of the fact that we could have had one of these. :o( Thanks for your comments.

Post #853667
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ColibriGardener Baker, LA(Zone 8b) Apr 30, 2004

Does this Desert Bird of Paradise have any Hummingbird activity? I'm always looking for new hummer plants

Post #854092
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frogsrus San Diego, CA(Zone 10a) Apr 30, 2004

This as my favorite when I was a kid. It attracts more bees than hummers though. It is fairly common here.

Post #854135
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htop San Antonio, TX(Zone 8b) Apr 30, 2004

In almost every description of the plant, it is stated that it is a hummer draw. Like frogsrus stated, I have found that it attracts more bees than hummers in my area too when I have been able to observe the plant. I do not have one in my yard, however, so this statement is from infrequent observation now and from frequent observation in my youth also. Maybe some other members out there will add a comment about what they have observed in their locales. Thanks for asking.

Post #854248
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