The tropical coral tree, Erythrina crista-galli, native to South America, is a spreading shrub-like deciduous tree producing profusions of scarlet flowers on 8-12” long racemes from spring to frost in USDA hardiness zones 8-10. The flamboyant flowers are the national flower of Argentina and Uruguay where it blooms in floral waves between November and February. Flower buds are shaped like the beak of toucans.
Legends and Names
Legend has it that the tree was a South American princess who while fighting to defend her people was captured by the enemy and set ablaze at night to die. In the morning her people found only a tree with red flowers as lovely as the princess. The legend suggests one common name, flame trees.
The tree’s assortment of common names refers to particular characteristics: ‘Cry Baby’ and ‘Christ’s Tears’ point to droplets of nectar dripping from flowers. The flattened lower lip of the flower is shaped like a ‘Fireman’s Cap.’ Thorns on the stems coupled with a flower resembling the red crested comb of a rooster gave rise to ‘Cockspur Coral Bean.’
Erythrina crista-galli is a member of the Legume family and displays several clues to its family ties: a pea-like blossom, bean style dehiscent seedpod, and a root with nodules hosting nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Lovely but Lethal
Even the most beautiful of plants can be deadly. All parts of the coral tree are toxic to humans if ingested. The beanlike pods that follow the flowers contain highly toxic seeds.
The green pinnately compound leaves with three leaflets and are arranged alternately on stems filled with hidden spines.
Cultivating Erythrina
Coral trees have wild relatives in the southern U.S. The native coral bean, Erythrina herbacea, is a rangy unruly thorny shrub growing wild throughout the southeastern U.S. It too has irresistible blossoms with long spikes of red tubular flowers.
Felder Rushing, Mississippi garden writer, describes both species of Erythrina as tough and tenacious. Both grow faster in fertile moist soil but both tolerate poor soil conditions. Their acceptance of drought, pollution, and heat make them excellent candidates for cityscapes. E. crista-galli was commonly grown in inner-city New Orleans. Los Angeles utilizes E. caffa, close kin of E. crista-galli, as the official tree of the city for its smog tolerance.
Being adaptable to a wide range of living conditions and habitats, the coral tree is commonplace in South and Central America as a shade tree along streets and in parks.
In South America the tree is interplanted on coffee and cacao plantations to provide shade and soil improvement.
Gardeners everywhere appreciate the low maintenance coral tree as a specimen ornamental and attractor of bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and even nectar-seeking passerines like orioles.
Coral Tree Propagation
Coral tree is propagated by seed, softwood cuttings and layering. Seeds should be scarified to hasten germination. Take tip cuttings in spring and early summer.
The fast growing flaming princess, Erythrina crista-galli, will tango her way into the life of your garden.
Sources
- Bender, Steve and Felder Rushing. Passalong Plants. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1993.
- Brickell, Christopher and Trevor Cole. The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. London: DK Publishing, 2002.
- Royal Horticultural Society website
- USDA Plants Profile website
Arlene Marturano - Arlene Marturano, an educator, consultant, master gardener, and writer advocates gardens as a context and gardening as a tool for ...
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