Filipinos have long known the Caballero, or Bulaklak ng Paraiso for its medical purposes and for being one of the most graceful and colorful flowers. Being a widely cultivated ornamental plant, it thrives well in sunny Philippines and brings a variety of bright and vibrant colors even to the most urban of landscapes. Its brightly colored flowers usually bloom during summer and is coomonly found in gardens as well as vacant lots. Yahoo News and Manila Bulettin Online featured this wonderful flower in a recent article.
Description
Scientifically known as Caesalpinia pulcherrima, the flower is a species of flowering plant from the pea family, Fabaceae, which is native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas. Common names for this species include Poinciana, Peacock Flower, Red Bird of Paradise, Mexican Bird of Paradise, Dwarf Poinciana, Pride of Barbados, and flamboyan-de-jardin. It belongs to the plant family Leguminosae and is native to the West Indies.
The peacock flower is a shrub growing to 3 meters tall. The leaves are bipinnate, 20–40 cm long, bearing 3-10 pairs of pinnae, each with 6-10 pairs of leaflets 15–25 mm long and 10–15 mm broad. The flowers are borne in racemes up to 20 cm long, each flower with five yellow, orange or red petals. The fruit is a pod 6–12 cm long.
Medical Purposes
The Peacock is also noted for its medicinal uses. Its leaves have anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-viral and purgative properties. Medicine men in the Amazon rainforest call it the ayoowiri. The fruit is used as an astringent and is used to treat diarrhea and dysentery.
Ornamental
The peacock flower is the most widely cultivated species in the genus Caesalpinia. It is a striking ornamental plant, widely grown in domestic and public gardens and has a beautiful inflorescence in yellow, red and orange. Its small size and the fact that it tolerates pruning well allow it to be planted in groups to form a hedgerow; it can be also used to attract hummingbirds.
The shrub's stem and branches have scattered spines. The plant certainly could be a colorful addition to the garden or lawn, especially if you want to have a low maintenance and floriferous small tree. This plant is fast growing easily propagated by seeds and is not too sensitive to pests and diseases.