I recently received an email from Paula Paggi, who gardens in Northridge. She extols several plants currently blooming in her garden whose flowers are in the fiery color spectrum that stretches from yellow to orange to red.
The plant she is most enthusiastic about is a yellow bird of paradise bush (Caesalpinia gillesii). Despite its highly exotic-looking blooms, it is among the easiest plants to grow. Once established, it is as drought-tolerant as the most desert-bound cactus or thorn tree. Its flowers are as gaudy as they come, with glittery yellow petals and boisterous red stamens, perfectly complemented by soft and quiet, feathery foliage. Native to South America, it attracts hummingbirds and its seeds self-sow in sandy soil.
I once lived in Yeruham, in the northern part of Israel’s Negev Desert, and had several of these plants growing in front of my apartment. They went through brutally hot summers without any irrigation, yet flowered prolifically. And today, in Jerusalem, near an apartment where I reside when visiting the holy city, there is an expanding forest of these shrubs as new seedlings emerge from year to year. And these plants, too, are never watered other than by winter rain.
Pride of Barbados Caesalpinia pulcherimma with lantana. (Photo by Joshua Siskin)Paggi is growing a related plant that is a showstopper thanks to its fringed, brilliant orange-red — and occasionally yellow — petals and scarlet stamens. I refer to the pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima), also known as the peacock flower and red bird of paradise. Foliage alone makes this plant special. In the manner of yellow bird of paradise bush, it is bipinnate, meaning “double-feathered,” similar to the foliage seen on jacaranda trees and on many ferns, where leaflets are evenly distributed on both sides of a central leaf stem — like the thin fibers of a feather are distributed on both sides of an axis — and then each of those leaflets are further divided into sub-leaflets. Both of these plants are most attractive when pruned hard just before spring, to half or less of their mature height of ten feet. Otherwise, they will get leggy and produce progressively fewer flowers each year. Seeds and pods of both are highly toxic.
Finally, plant these tough, leguminous beauties that do not require fertilization in well-drained soil if you want them to live for more than a few years
Parrots beak Lotus berthelotii. (Photo by Joshua Siskin)Parrot’s beak (Lotus berthelotii) is another leguminous plant in Paggi’s garden, which may be the most attractive ground cover on the planet, in my opinion. Its eponymous flowers are deep red-orange and the foliage is composed of whorls of needle-like, silvery-blue leaves. The problem is its finicky nature and the fact that it never seems to live more than a few years. If someone has succeeded in growing it longer than that, please let me know how. The problem is that while this is not an especially thirsty plant, it requires a deep soaking every week or so. Yet its leaves will drop when it gets too much or too little water, so mulching to keep soil moisture steady is recommended. Fortunately, it can be propagated from cuttings, so you would be wise to practice this procedure while the plant is thriving. Parrot’s beak is a favorite subject for containers and hanging baskets, from which it spills over the sides. It flowers most in spring and early summer but will cease to bloom in extreme heat.
By contrast, coral fountain or firecracker plant (Russelia equisetiformis), another of Paggi’s pantheon of May super bloomers, is impervious, if not welcoming, to summer heat. If you are looking for a long-blooming, stand-alone shrub that grows to around four feet tall, coral fountain is it. It is perfectly suitable as a garden accent, as well as a container selection for a patio or balcony. Its stringlike, leafless green stems — similar to those on horsetail (Equisetum), from which its species name derives — do, indeed, arch and spill over like a fountain, and its flowers are tubular and red, resembling firecrackers.
It should be noted that coral, when used in plant appellations, refers to a color spectrum that stretches from burnt orange to brilliant red, the same colors seen in the flowers of coral trees (Erythrina species).
Shrimp plant Justicia brandegeana. (Photo by Joshua Siskin)Coral fountain can be grown in full sun to partial shade, although a sunny exposure will yield vastly more flowers. Coral fountain begins to bloom now and will continue to flower into the fall. It has a problem with severe winters, although it will survive a freeze in locations where it is protected by overhanging tree branches or the eaves of a roof. Although native to the Central American tropics, it is highly tolerant of drought once established, although it will benefit from an occasional soak during scorching hot weather.
As for succulents, Paggi singles out red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) for its towering pinkish-red flower wands on display at this time of year. This plant is increasingly seen due to its unquestioned drought tolerance, and in addition to its six-foot-tall, waxy inflorescences that bloom for several months, it has arresting sword-like, yet soft, foliage with marginal hairs. A variety with yellow flowers is also available. Red yucca expands in clumps and may readily be propagated by division.
Finally, Paggi enjoys shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeana) with its distinct prawn-shaped bracts. Growing three feet tall, it can handle most of the day’s sun but will make do on half-day sun just fine and is rather drought tolerant. Shrimp plant seems to be perpetually in bloom and may be grown in almost any situation, from individually in pots and in courtyards to collectively in a hedge, The Red Pinecone shrimp plant is not as frequently seen as the standard burnt orange-to-copper-colored type, but this wine to cherry-red cultivar is certain to be planted more frequently as word about it gets around.
As an aside, let me say that royal poinciana (Delonix regia) is a tree with red-orange flowers that’s worth trying. I first saw it on a cruise that stopped at Ensenada in Baja California. In a park near that city’s dock, there was a collection of these trees, startling in the brilliance of their blooms. The only specimen of royal poinciana that I have seen locally was planted as a street tree in Sylmar, in the northern San Fernando Valley. Although planting this tree does involve some risk due to its sensitivity to cold, I think it’s a risk worth taking. I would start a few of them from seeds, easily found online, so your investment in this project is minimal.
California native of the week: Roundleaf leatherroot (Hoita/Psoralea orbicularis) has a resemblance to common clover for a reason; they are both members of the legume family. Roundleaf leatherroot, however, also known as giant clover, has much larger features, with its trifoliate leaves measuring three inches across and its conical racemes or flower clusters, which are violet in color, reaching more than one foot in length. This species is partial to moist soil — needing considerably more water than most natives but less than hedges and rushes — and requires lots of sun. A single patch of this deciduous clover will form a mat one foot in height and spread ten feet or more, thanks to its stolons or runners. It blooms from April to August, but June is the month when it flowers at maximum capacity. If anyone knows of a source for either seeds or live plants of this species, please advise.
Do you have a garden with flowers in one or two colors that you would like readers of this column to know about? If so, send your story to Joshua@perfectplants.com. Your questions and comments, as well as gardening predicaments and successes, are always welcome.
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