Caesalpinia gilliesii – “Desert Bird of Paradise”

Also Known As: Yellow Bird of Paradise, Bird of Paradise Bush, Paradise Poinciana, Barba de Chivo (Spanish for “goatee”), Bodurakasya (Turkish for “Dwarf Acacia”)
Family: Legume, Bean (Fabaceae)
Bloom Period: Feb-Mar
Form: Shrub
Habitat: Near human settlement
Leaves: Twice pinnately-compound; generally alternate
Translation: “Caesalpinia” is named for Andrea Cesalpino (1519-1603), Italian physician, philosopher, naturalist and botanist; “gilliesii” is named for John Gillies (1792-1834), a Scottish botanist who collected plants in South America
Notes: Although native to South America, this plant is common in landscaping in Texas and the southwestern U.S., and it has has escaped cultivation and become naturalized. It is unrelated to the Bird of Paradise plants of the Strelitzia genus, the well-known ornamental and cut flower.
Animal Associations: I witnessed adolescent Rock Squirrels climbing out onto the spindly branches to harvest the seed pods.