Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Mexican Bird of Paradise
Mexican Bird of Paradise is a large, thornless shrub with bright green, fine leaves and spikes of fragrant lemon-yellow flowers from spring to fall. In the low desert it stays green through most winters and can bloom almost all year. It takes full sun and the reflected heat off a west wall. Planted in a row, it grows into a tall, green background screen.
Best for: a tall background shrub or informal screen, color on a hot west wall, and hummingbird and butterfly beds.
It grows 10 to 15 feet tall with bright green, fine leaves that stay on in most low desert winters. Set it behind lower shrubs, where the yellow spikes show over the top.
Planted 8 to 12 feet apart, center to center, it fills in as a tall, loose screen. Grown as a shrub, it needs pruning only for frost damage and dead wood.
It thrives in full sun and handles the reflected heat off a west wall. It grows more upright and flowers best in sun.
Pods follow the flowers and split, so leaves, flowers and pods add up to a lot of litter. Seedlings can pop up nearby. The seeds are poisonous, so keep pods away from kids and pets.
- Tight screen8 ft apart, center to center
- Looser screen or background12 ft apart, center to center
Water every 3 to 4 days for the first two weeks, then every 6 to 7 days. By weeks 7 and 8, water about every 10 to 14 days.
Water weekly in spring and summer for more flowers. A deep soak about once a month is enough in winter.
As a shrub it needs little pruning. Remove frost damage in spring, and cut spent flower spikes before pods ripen and split.
You can skip fertilizer, since it is in the pea family and needs no feeding.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does Mexican Bird of Paradise get?
It usually grows 10 to 15 feet tall and 6 to 15 feet wide, and it grows fast with regular water. Plant it 8 to 12 feet apart so it has room.
When does it bloom?
From spring to fall, and in warm-winter spots almost all year. For steady bloom, water weekly in spring and summer and snip off spent flower spikes.
Is it evergreen?
In the low desert it stays green through most winters. A hard freeze can make it drop leaves, and it leafs out again in spring.
Does it have thorns?
No, the branches are thornless, unlike red bird of paradise. That makes it easy to plant along a walk or patio.
How much water does it need?
Once rooted, give it a deep soak about weekly in spring and summer, which keeps it growing and covered in flowers. Water less often in winter.
Can it take a west wall?
Yes. It thrives in full sun and handles the reflected heat off a west-facing wall. In shade it grows leggier and flowers less.
How cold hardy is it?
It is rated to about 15 to 18°F. Colder nights can damage it, but it recovers quickly. Trim frost damage in spring.
Is it messy?
Yes, it can be messy. Leaves, flowers and seed pods add up to a lot of litter. Cutting off spent flower spikes before pods form cuts down the mess and the seedlings.
Is it poisonous?
The seeds are poisonous, and it is listed as toxic to pets. Snip off pods before they ripen, and keep it away from dog runs and play areas.
Does it need fertilizer?
No, it is in the pea family and grows well without feeding, so you can skip fertilizer.
How is it different from Red and Desert Bird of Paradise?
Mexican has solid lemon-yellow spikes and stays green in mild winters. Red has red and orange flowers and freezes back. Desert has yellow flowers with long red stamens.
Mexican Bird of Paradise for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Mexican Bird of Paradise is the thornless, solid yellow bird of paradise that stays green in most Valley winters. Below are the questions people ask most about growing it as a shrub or screen, from size and spacing to water, cold, pods and pruning.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Mexican Bird of Paradise as a shrub
Most people grow it as a large shrub, 10 to 15 feet tall. It fills a background bed or a loose screen with bright green leaves and lemon-yellow spikes. It can also be trained to a small tree.
How far apart do you plant Mexican Bird of Paradise?
Plant them about 8 to 12 feet apart, center to center, for a screen. The Spacing tab counts plants for your row.
How to get more flowers on Mexican Bird of Paradise
Plant it in full sun. Water weekly through spring and summer, and snip off spent flower spikes before pods form.
Is Mexican Bird of Paradise evergreen in Phoenix?
It stays green through most low desert winters and can bloom almost all year. A hard freeze can make it drop leaves until spring.
Mexican Bird of Paradise water needs
Once rooted, a deep soak about monthly keeps it healthy. More water in the warm months means more flowers and faster growth.
Mexican vs Red vs Desert Bird of Paradise
Mexican is thornless with solid lemon-yellow spikes. Red has red and orange flowers and freezes back each winter. Desert has yellow flowers with long red stamens.
Is Mexican Bird of Paradise toxic?
The seeds are poisonous, and it is listed as toxic to pets. Snip off seed pods before they ripen, especially where kids and pets play.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.