CORAL TREES:
TOO BIG, TOO MESSY?
MAYBE NOT!
6/18/99

By Tom Ewing
Branch Manager Miramar Wholesale
Nurseries, San Diego, CA

It’s nearly impossible to miss the brilliant ruby shades of the Coral trees that grace landscapes throughout San Diego. There are more than 100 species of Coral trees, ranging in color from deep salmon to vibrant scarlet. They have an undeserved reputation for becoming overgrown and messy in the landscape. This misconception was born as a result of improper placement and care. With proper installation and maintenance, Coral trees are both a beautiful and water-efficient option for enlivening almost any landscape.

If you plan to place a Coral tree in a lawn area, it is best to remove the lawn as much as possible, up to the drip line. The lawn can be replaced with plants that require little water. Using a low-flow or drip irrigation system, mature Coral trees should be watered frequently during the winter, but reduce watering during the summer months. In fact, the less water in summer, the more flowers you can expect the following winter. One deep watering per month should be adequate. It is also important to prune Coral trees in March and April after they have bloomed. Doing so in the fall can cut off flowering wood and force new growth before a winter chill.

If you have a large, beautiful specimen, you might consider cabling the trunks and main branches together to protect it from wind breakage. This should be done by an experienced arborist.

Of the more than 100 species of Corals throughout the world, only 10 to 15 are available in Southern California. These all have different characteristics and flowering habits. If you are looking for a coral (or a flowering tree) for your landscape here’s a list of species to consider:

E. acanthocarpa (Tambookie Thorn) is a deciduous shrub that grows three to six feet tall. Seven-inch long, thick flower spikes with scarlet, yellow tipped flowers are born amid small leaves. This very thorny plant is rare in nurseries and may be hard to find.

E. bidwilli is a large deciduous shrub, 10' to 20' tall with a spreading habit. Flowers provide a beautiful display of pure red on two-foot weeping stalks throughout spring and summer. This species is also very thorny.

E. coralloides (Naked Coral Tree) So named because it is deciduous until April or May — when the flowers appear at the tips of the branches and the leaves open — this coral has a very dramatic appearance. This tree can reach 30 feet in height and spreads as wide. It is slower growing and more easily contained than E. caffra. The fiery orange, red flowers look like fat pine cones at the tips of irregular, angular branches. Available at Miramar Wholesale Nurseries.

E. crista-galli (Cockspur Coral Tree) A deciduous shrub or tree with a unique habit all its own, the Cockspur Coral Tree can become a many-stemmed, rough-barked tree up to 25 feet tall with weeping branches and flower stalks. Its woody trunk and branches are very slow to develop. In colder areas, it will die to the ground and grow back each spring with fleshy new growth forming a mounding, drooping shrub. The flowers, first appearing in spring at the ends of the branches, are long velvety stalks of bird-like flowers, salmon pink to wine red in color. It can bloom up to three times during the growing season. Cut back dead flower stalks and stems to encourage more upright growth habit. Available at Miramar Wholesale Nurseries.

E. humeana (Natal Coral Tree) This deciduous or evergreen tree grows up to 30 feet, but can be kept smaller with pruning. Bright orange-red flowers appear in late summer to fall even on very young plants. The drooping flower stalks are carried well above the foliage of heart shaped leaves at the branch tips. Available at Miramar Wholesale Nurseries.

E. humeana ‘Raja’ (Dwarf Natal Coral) This smaller, shrubbier form of E. humeana grows up to 15 feet tall with smaller, thorny branches and leaves with long, pointed tails. The showy orange-red flower stalks are very erect at the branch tips. Available at Miramar Wholesale Nurseries.

E. lysistemon is a deciduous tree similar to E. caffra, but with smaller leaves and a much denser, slower growth habit. A specimen can grow up to 30 feet tall, with light orange flowers that appear at various times from early spring to late summer. Black thorns appear on the branches. This magnificent coral is easy to maintain. Available at Miramar Wholesale Nurseries.

E. syksii is also a deciduous tree similar to E. caffra, but with a more slender branching habit and prolific blooms even on young trees. With large, showy, bright red flowers appearing in late winter or early spring before the leaves appear, this species can tower up to 30 feet tall. The sterile flower does not form pods. Available at Miramar Wholesale Nurseries.