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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