Erythrina crista-galli
Posted: July 17th, 2013, 12:36 pm
| Botanical Name | Erythrina crista-galli |
| Family | Papilionaceae |
| Genus | Erythrina |
| Specie | crista-galli |
| Local Name in Urdu | |
| Common Name | Cry Baby, Cockspur, Fireman's Cap Tree, Brazillian Coral Tree |
| Life Cycle | perennial,Deciduous |
| Cultivar Name | |
| Fragrant or Not | No |
| Category(Bush/Vine/Tree) | tree |
| Height | 20-30 ft. |
| Spacing | 10-12 ft. |
| Flowering Months | summer-fall Blooms repeatedly |
| Flower Color | Red |
| Growing Areas | All Pakistan |
| Frost Tender | yes |
| Exposure | Full Sun |
| Soil pH | tolerent |
| Propagation | By air layering |
| Uses | ornamental plant,suitable for xeriscaping |
| Other Details | Erythrina crista-galli also known as the cockspur coral tree, firemans cap, or cry-baby tree is a decidious and thorny tree native to South America. It can reach 6 metres tall. It bears striking deep-red flowers in summer in clusters as is typical of Fabaceae. Leaves are decidious, alternate and composed. They are spiny.A deciduous small tree from S. America that grows to 15 to 20+ feet tall and equal width with a somewhat crooked trunk having dark furrowed bark. The leaves are composed of 3 dark green leaflets, 3 to 6 inches long by 1 1/2 inch wide, that have curved thorns on the veins on the backside and petioles. The 2 inch long by 1 inch wide flowers, usually scarlet-red but sometimes pink or red-purple, are borne singly or in groups of 2-3 in loose terminal racemes to 2 feet long . These inflorescences emerge from the current years growth and several flushes of flowers can appear, particularly if old flower stalks are pruned off. Plant in full sun and irrigate only occasionally. This is one of the hardiest of the coral trees.It is best to prune this tree at least annually to remove the past year's spent flower spikes and to encourage repeat flowering and maintain size. |
image From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository.
