Caesalpina pulcherrima is a shrub that seem to epitomise the tropics with its soft foliage and open delicate flowers usually red but sometimes yellow or orange
The leaves are bipinnate, 20–40 cm long, bearing three to 10 pairs of pinnae, each with six to 10 pairs of leaflets 15–25 mm long and 10–15 mm broad.
The flowers are borne in racemes up to 20 cm long, each flower with five yellow, orange, or red petals. The fruit is a pod 6–12 cm long.
C. pulcherrima is the most widely cultivated species in the genus Caesalpinia. It is a striking ornamental plant, widely grown in domestic and public gardens in warm climates with mild winters, and has a beautiful inflorescence in yellow, red, and orange.
Its small size and the fact that it tolerates pruning well allows it to be planted in groups to form a hedgerow; it can be also used to attract hummingbirds.
Feathery, twice pinnate green leaves are usually evergreen, but sometimes deciduous in areas near the edge of its growing range. Each leaf has 5-8 pairs of pinnae and 6-10 pairs of leaflets per pinna.
Flowers are followed by oblong, flat fruits