I had no idea what this odd-looking flower was. It was in one of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s greenhouses and it wasn’t labeled that I could see. Since then, I have downloaded a Garden app on my phone to help me identify plants! And I found out that this is a “flowerfence” (technical name is caesalpinia pulcherrima), belonging to the pea family (fabaceae), native to tropical and subtropical America.  Its exact origin is unknown. Common names include: Poinciana, Peacock Flower, and flamboyant-de-jardin. My favorite is its Hawaiian name: ‘Ohai Ali’i.

Cee’s Flower of the Day, 10/21/17