Botanical Name: Erythrina caffra
Common Name: Kaffirboom Coral Tree
Type of Plant: dicot: tree
Character deciduous (partially)
 
Habit of Growth:
Overall Shape a very large, broad-spreading tree, usually multiple-trunked, with massive branching; forms a broadly rounded to flat-topped tree
Height 30-60'
Spread equal or more
Growth Rate rapid
 
Environment:
Exposure outdoors full or partial sun; requires full light for best flowering
Soil well-draining loam soils preferred; tolerates most
Hardiness some frost (zones 21-24); thrives in mild-coastal locale
 
Morphology:
Leaves trifoliate, alternate, on green stems having a few thorns; tend to be clustered at branch tips, 10-16" long; petioles are unarmed
Flowers orange-red, tubular, compressed, in 8-10" spikes, mostly terminal on branchlets; December-March
Fruit a pod: 3-4" long, flattened, not constricted
 
Propagation:
seed or semihardwood cuttings
 
Usage:
popular large-scale tree, valued for showy flowers and dramatic overall form; excellent for large-area tropical landscapes; plant has mnassive root system; brittle wood
 
Landscape Care:
Watering regular is preferred; can thrive if heavily irrigated
Fertilizing as needed; develops iron chlorosis in wet adobe soils
Pruning develop a wide-spreading framework of scaffold branches;thin
Pests/Diseases red spider, white fly, mealy bug
Special Conditions/Other
 
Origin: South Africa
Family: Fabaceae

Notes:
 
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