Botanical Name: Erythrina lysistemon
Common Name: Common Coral Tree

 

Use: Outdoors
Indigenous/Exotic : Indigenous
Evergreen/Deciduous : Deciduous
Plant Type : Tree
Flower Colour : Red
Foliage Colour : Green
Best Season : Late Winter to Summer
Light : Sun
Hardiness : Semi-hardy
Attributes : Attracts butterflies & birds, Water wise
Height (m) : 10
Spread (m) : 3 - 5
    
Notes : Genus of over 100 species. Performance in cultivation is good. Ideal for a small garden providing light to medium shade. Fast growing and drought-resistant. A striking addition in Spring when its bright red flowers appear on bare branches before the foliage. The flowering peak lasts about a month and is best when the Spring is dry and hot. It's not suited to a damp, cool environment. The leafless period lasts 4 - 5 months. Attracts nectar and seed eating birds. The fruit is a cylindrical dark pod which splits open to reveal orange and black seeds. Grow in fertile, moist but well-drained soil. Protect from frost for the first few years. Propagate from seed. Pests and diseases: frequently develops galls from mid-Summer onwards but they do not seem to have a detrimental effect on the tree. More worrying is a boring insect which enters at branch tips and can cause serious damage. As soon as signs are visible, cut the branch below the borer.