Question
This fall I have picked the pods off of some healthy Red Bird Of Paradise Plants in my area and now I have bought planting soil and buckets to get them started in, but I am not sure the best way to be sure they are going to break the dirt and grow. Can you help me out? Joe in Arizona

Answer
Hi Joseph,
Thanx for your question.  I love this plant and it is easy to grow from seeds.  If you will score the hard coat of the seed and soak it for 24 hours in warm water, you will speed up its germination.  This plant is a member of the legume family and not related to the true birds-of-paradise (Strelitzia sp.).  This plant is from the genus Caesalpina and there is also a yellow version.  It dies back to the ground at around 32F but if properly mulched should come back year after year in the Phoenix area and even in colder areas where the ground does not freeze.  The plant is very adaptable to hot, dry, desert conditions.  I would like to get my hands on some of this seed.  Anyway, the seeds germinate quickly as most legumes (bean family) do.  I wouldn't start the seeds until January and plant them about 1/2 inch deep in the soil.  Keep the soil watered and well drained and warm.  You should have seedlings in a few days to a week depending on how hard the outer coat of the seeds is and how well they soaked.  I hope this helps.
Tom