Erythrina lysistemon
15 seeds
¿Coral tree¿
Erythrina lysistemon is alovely, small to medium-sized, deciduous tree with a spreading crownand brilliant red flowers. It is a handsome tree at any time of theyear, and its dazzling flowers have made it one of the best known andwidely grown South African trees.
This is a stocky, thickset tree that often branches low down andusually grows up to 10 m in height, occasionally reaching 12 m. Thebark is smooth and dark gray to gray-brown and is not thickly corky.Short, hooked prickles are sparsely and randomly scattered on thetrunk and branches.
The flowers are a beautiful clearscarlet and are carried in short, dense heads, about 9 cm long, onlong, thick stalks. The standard petal (the large uppermost petal) islong and narrow and encloses the other petals and the stamens. Theflowers produce abundant nectar that attracts many nectar-feedingbirds and insects, which attract the insect-feeding birds as well.
The fruit is a slender, black pod that can be 15 cm long and issharply constricted between the seeds. The pod splits while stillattached to the tree to release bright red 'lucky bean' seeds.
Erythrina lysistemon is notjust a decorative tree, it is also an important component of theecosystem, providing food and shelter for a variety of birds, animalsand insects. Many birds and insects feed on the nectar. Vervetmonkeys eat the flower buds. Kudu, klipspringer, black rhino andbaboons graze on the leaves. Black rhinos, elephants and baboons eatthe bark. Bush pigs eat the roots, and the brown-headed parrot eatsand disperses the seed. Birds such as barbets and woodpeckers nest inthe trunks of dead trees, and swarms of bees often inhabit hollowtrunks.
Erythrina lysistemon is afast-growing, undemanding tree. It does best in fertile, well-aeratedand well-drained soils. It is fairly drought-tolerant, but performsbetter if given water during summer. It is sensitive to cold andgrows best in frost free gardens, but will survive in regions with awinter minimum of -7 to -1 ¿C/20 to 30¿F (zone 9) provided it isplanted in a sheltered position, and protected from frost when young.
Erythrina lysistemon is easilypropagated from seed, cuttings and truncheons. Seed is sown in springand summer, in a well-drained, general-purpose potting soil, placedin a warm but shaded spot and kept moist. Soaking the seed overnightin warm (not hot) water is not necessary for germination to occur,but should hurry things along. Dusting the seed prior to sowing, ordrenching after sowing, with a fungicide that combats pre-emergencedamping off, although not essential, will increase the percentagegermination. Cuttings are best taken in spring to summer, andtruncheons in late winter to spring.
