Caesalpinia pulcherrima (pride of Barbados, "Ogocho")

Japanese name: オウゴチョウ （黄胡蝶、黄紅蝶）
Scientific name: Caesalpinia pulcherrima

[Overview]
A fast-growing evergreen shrub or small tree 3–6 m tall.
It is deciduous in cold regions.
The branches spread sideways, forming a wide crown.
Young branches are green and have sharp thorns.
The leaves are alternate, bipinnately compound with an even number of leaflets, about 20–40 cm long, consisting of 5–8 pairs of pinnae, each with 6–10 pairs of leaflets.
The leaflets are elliptic, 1.5–2.5 cm long and 1–1.5 cm wide, with rounded tips.
In the tropics it flowers all year round.
Erect racemose to paniculate inflorescences 10–20 cm long, arising at the branch tips and from the leaf axils, bear bright orange-yellow to yellow five-petaled flowers 5 cm across.
The petals are wavy and clawed at the base.
The stamens and pistil are red and protrude far out of the flower.
The fruit is a flat, oblong pod 6–10 cm long containing 8–10 blackish brown to black seeds.
The pods have no thorns or hairs.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by cuttings.
It grows well in any soil as long as the place is sunny and well drained.
With poor sunlight, it flowers poorly.
In Okinawa it is planted in the ground, but it is better to keep it at 5°C or above in winter, so it is generally grown in a pot and brought into a bright place indoors in winter.
For potted plants, water thoroughly from spring to autumn when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient.
Fertilize sparingly; for potted plants, apply a small amount of slow-release fertilizer from spring to autumn, watching the plant's condition.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

[Notes]
It is the national flower of Barbados.
It is regarded as one of the three great flowers of Okinawa.

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