Object Details
Description
Although native to southern South America, this plant has escaped gardens in the Southwest US and naturalized. This shrubby plant is notable for it striking, yellow summer flowers with long, showy red stamens. In northern areas of its growing range, it can be cut to the ground and protected with mulch to overwinter.
Hardiness
10 - 50 F
Attracts
Butterflies, hummingbirds
Bloom Time
July to August
Provenance
Uncertain
Accession Number
2022-0787A
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Life Form
Semi-evergreen shrub/sub-shrub
Bloom Characteristics
Yellow flowers have 5 petals and 10 long, bright red stamens. Flowers are 1" (2.5 cm) long, with stamens that are 4-5" (10.2-12.7 cm) long.
Foliage Characteristics
Leaves have 8-12 pairs of pinnae that each have 7-11 pairs of elliptic leaflets. Leaves are 4-8" (10.2-20.3 cm) long, and leaflets are .5" (1.3 cm) long.
Fragrance
Unpleasant (leaves, when bruised)
Fruit Characteristics
Fruits are straight to curved, flattened seed pods which explode open when ripe. Pods are covered in dense, redish hairs when young. Fruits are 2-5" (5-12.7 cm) long.
Plant Size
7-10' tall x 7-10' wide (2.1-3 x 2.1-3 meters)
Structure
Irregularly rounded
Range
N Central Chile to Uruguay
Habitat
Subtropical
See more items in
Smithsonian Gardens Display Collection
On Display
Enid A. Haupt Garden
Common Name
bird of paradise
desert bird of paradise
Group
[vascular plants]
Class
Equisetopsida
Subclass
Magnoliidae
Superorder
Rosanae
Order
Fabales
Family
Fabaceae
Genus
Erythrostemon
Species
gilliesii
Data Source
Smithsonian Gardens
Topic
Display Gardens
Living Collections
Link to Original Record
Record ID
ofeo-sg_2022-0787A