Mexican Bird of Paradise

Mexican poinciana is only found in Texas in the lower Rio Grande Valley. It is grown mainly for its highly fragrant, golden flowers in attractive racemes 3 to 6 inches long. It can grow to a tree of 15 feet in tropical regions, but north of its native range, it usually performs as an herbaceous perennial, growing to a 3 to 6-foot shrub in a growing season. It is highly ornamental with its spectacular flowers and ferny foliage and thrives in heat, tolerating reflected heat that many flowering shrubs and trees cannot.