A mature Pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) growing in a residential garden bed

In the landscape

Accent · Flowering tree · Hedge · Small tree · Specimen · Container · Butterfly · Drought tolerant

Data sources

Missouri Botanical Garden, NC State Extension

Pride of Barbados

Caesalpinia pulcherrima · Shrub

Pride of Barbados is a fast-growing shrub, hardy in USDA zones 9-11, that matures to about 10–20 ft × 6–12 ft. It does best in full sun with medium water needs in well-drained and occasionally-dry soil. Expect yellow, orange and red blooms in summer. It attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, stands up well to deer and drought and grows happily in containers.

USDA zones: 9-11
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Mature size: 10–20 ft × 6–12 ft
Spacing: 12–24 ft
Growth rate: Fast
Maintenance: Low
Soil: Well-drained, Occasionally-dry
Foliage: Blue, Green
Bloom color: Yellow, Orange, Red
Bloom season: Summer
Attracts: Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Tough against: Deer, Drought
Watch out for: Spines and thorns
Toxic to: People, Children, Dogs, Cats
Native to: Tropical Americas

Will it survive your winters?

We score Pride of Barbados’s freeze-trouble range against the real coldest nights your area has recorded.

Powered by ~35 years of daily lows from the nearest NOAA weather station. A risk read, not a guarantee — a sheltered spot or mature plant beats the odds.

More plants for your zone: Zone 9 · Zone 10 · Zone 11