Bird of Paradise Tree and Buffalo Gourd…two little known horticultural oddities

We hope you’ve received your new Fall 2016 catalog and are enjoying the plants we selected for inclusion. If not, they’re all on-line.

It’s been years since we were able to offer one of our favorite garden plants, the Hardy Bird of Paradise Tree…Caesalpinia gilliesii.  After years of searching, we located a seed source and are thrilled to have it available once again.  We’ve had this survive 0 degrees F in the past, so it’s certainly the hardiest member of an otherwise tropical genus.

Bird of Paradise Tree for sale buy Caesalpinia gilliesii

Another oddity that we’re offering for the first time is the US native, Buffalo Gourd, Cucurbita foetidissima.  Who know there was a hardy perennial gourd, native from Wisconsin south Mexico, and west to California.  In addition to having beautiful glaucous blue, sandpapery foliage, the giant yellow flowers, followed by small green and white gourds are equally amazing.  Buffalo Gourd is a desert plant, so no extra irrigation is needed after establishment.

Cucurbita foetidissima Buffalo gourd ornamental vine

As always, we hope you find some new plants that will bring you as much gardening pleasure as they do us.

2 thoughts on “Bird of Paradise Tree and Buffalo Gourd…two little known horticultural oddities”

  1. Oh My! I want but will they survive the harsh heat of North Texas? Nights here can stay in the nineties for weeks plus little rain July thru to September. The Buffalo Gourd would go into raised beds with opuntia, gaura and some other native plants, all doing well. This is right out on the prairie, no shade.

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