Canary bird bush is one of my favorite plants, and my absolute favorite plant with yellow flowers. Leaves are trifoliate and a lovely blue-green in color, presenting a perfect contrast to the brilliant yellow pigmentation of its flowers, a color that has been described as startling, electric, phosphorescent and high voltage. In the minds of some, the flowers have the appearance of miniature canaries perched on a branch.
A wonderful opportunity to observe canary bird bush (Crotalaria agatiflora) is presented in Valley Village along the north side of Magnolia Boulevard between Teesdale and Beeman avenues.
Canary bird bush, a gangly perennial that can grow up to 12 feet tall, is native to East Africa and a member of the pea family. This means that it manufactures its own nitrate with the help of a nitrogen-fixing bacteria that lives in symbiosis with its roots, so you do not have to worry about fertilization.
Canary bird bush blooms most of the time, is cold hardy down to 25 degrees, and yet, strangely enough, it is rarely found in nurseries. If you want to find it, go to www.smgrowers.com, a local grower of canary bird bush, and click “retail locator” on the left side of the page. You can then order the plant through an affiliated neighborhood nursery.
