- Mexican Bird of Paradise is native to Northern Mexico, common in southern Arizona - Its lush, ferny compound leaves provide a dark green backdrop for the bright yellow flower spikes that appear on the branch tips during the warm season - These flowers are followed by woody pods, which “explode” as they mature - This plant grows fairly rapidly 10-15 feet tall and spreads to 15 feet wide. The Mexican bird of paradise can be grown as a small tree or pruned to keep it a shrub