Another beautiful flower that I came across at the Cedar Lake Botanical Garden was the peacock flower (Caesalpinia pulcherrima). It is also frequently called pride of Barbados, red bird of paradise, or dwarf poinsettia among other things. It’s considered to be native to tropical and subtropical North and South America, but its exact origin is not really known since it has been cultivated in many places for centuries. As well as being a great ornamental plant, it is very good for attracting pollinators and its deep strong roots also help with soil stabilization. In these respects, it is both useful and good for the environment. It also has some uses that are not necessarily related to the environment. First, the mature flower petals are used to make a beautiful red dye used for coloring both cloth and paper. Younger flowers can also make a yellow or light orange dye, and the bark can make a dark brown dye. Additionally, the seeds can be ground up and mixed with water to create black ink. Even though this isn’t done much anymore, the practice does provide an environmentally friendly and sustainable ink source that is used by some artisan craftsmen. So, as you can see, not only is this plant beautiful to look at, but it also has a number of important uses. That’s my idea of a great plant.