Seasonality: officially evergreen; usually winter deciduous in Tucson
Size: 3-10ft with equal spread; more tree-like in warmer location
Leaves: bipinnately compound, fern-like, many 3/4in leaflets; normally bright green turning red in winter, sometimes leafless in winter
Flowers: distinctive panicle of bright blooms; flowers are red, orange and yellow with long red stamens; on terminal ends of branches in summer
Fruit: hard brownish pod, 2.5in long, thin and flat, twists when drying, explosively dehiscent, poisonous
Stems/Trunks: inner portion of plant usually shows signs of having been cut back; small thorns look furry but are sharp
Range/Origin: West Indies; common throughout Sonoran deserts, naturalized in Texas
Hardiness: damaged at 32°F, with increasing damage as temperature decreases; killed to ground in teens, sometimes killed outright
LANDSCAPE VALUE:
summer color
tropical effect
background
reliable, good in medians
CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS:
Exposure: full sun or light shade, takes heat; not good on north sides; gets leggy in shade and blooming is reduced
Water: best with regular irrigation; once per week while blooming; height and growth rate determined by water supply
Soil: tolerant, good drainage
Propagation: seed, very ease
Maintenance: moderate; pod cleanup; pruning every year to remove frost damage; sometimes pruned to ground in winter
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