Coral Tree 13 Showy Coral Tree Erythrina Lysistemon Erythrina Berenices

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10 Common Coral Tree 13 Showy Coral Tree Erythrina lysistemon Erythrina berenices

Medium-sized, almost evergreen This particular tree is over 30 years tree growing to 22 to 30 feet. Red old. Native to Veracruz, Mexico, the flowers bloom January to June. species bears bright red flowers in Native to southern Africa. late winter and early spring.

This species was introduced into Southern California before Erythrina caffra, however the latter is the type Coral trees from the New World, like this one, are pollinated by hummingbirds. FUN most commonly seen in parks and along freeways in the FUN FACT FACT area today.

11 Coral Tree 14 Coral Tree Erythrina steyermarkii Erythrina brucei

You might see this coral tree in Costa This tree is endemic to Ethiopia and Rica, Guatemala, and Venezuela. bears orange-red flowers from April It was named in honor of Julian through May when the leaves are A. Steyermark for his research in present. tropical American botany.

This tree is famous; it was mentioned in a prestigious This is the largest known Erythrina brucei in botanical publication as an outstanding specimen. North America. FUN FUN FACT FACT

Exclusive Video 12 Naked Coral Tree Erythrina coralloides

Native to eastern Mexico, this coral tree bears red flowers in the early spring when the tree is leafless, hence the name naked coral tree.

Discover the secret to growing a coral tree from a bit of branch, by visiting this link: sd.gozoo.org/coral

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Coral trees are members of the pea family, Fabaceae, The Daphne Seybolt Culpeper Memorial Foundation which is the third-largest land plant family. FUN FACT

sandiegozoo.org Coral Tree the numbers to the plant ID signs. The tour Matchbegins at Safari Kitchen, continues through Reptile 4 Mountain Imortelle 7 Cock’s-spur Walk, past Wegeforth Bowl to Rio 4-D Theater. Erythrina poeppigiana Erythrina eggersii

Brazilian Coral Tree Native to Central and South This endangered shrub is native 1 Erythrina falcata America, this species is pollinated to Puerto Rico, the British Virgin by perching birds. Through our Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Look for showy, drooping DNA barcoding project, we’ve The red flowers bloom with the racemes of dark red flowers learned this is one of the oldest leaves from March through April. from April through June. species of Erythrina.

The San Diego Zoo received its first cock’s-spur This species is widely grown on coffee plantations branch cutting in 2001 from Waimea Valley on The very rough bark of this species supports because of its ability to fix nitrogen in the soil. FUN FUN various orchids and air plants in their native home FACT FACT Oahu, Hawaii. FUN FACT in South America.

2 Coral Tree 5 Guatemala Coral Tree 8 Red-hot Poker Erythrina tajumulcensis Erythrina guatemalensis Erythrina abyssinica

The pinkish-red flowers of this As the name suggests, this A small, deciduous tree with species are unusually long and species is native to, and occurs unique flowers that bloom April narrow and stand out among the only in, Guatemala. The showy through May on bare stems. foliage. inflorescences stand above Native to Tanzania. the foliage and have a coarser, bolder look to them than other American species.

Some trees in the San Diego Zoo are moved when This species was first described in 1970 from the Many coral trees bloom for several weeks or months. new exhibits are built. This particular tree was slopes of the volcano Tajumulco, near the northern Yet, this species has a very short flowering period and relocated from its old home in Urban Jungle for the FUN FUN FUN FACT border of Guatemala. FACT FACT you are lucky if you see it in bloom! building of Australian Outback.

3 Immortel Coral Tree 6 Cardinal Spear, 9 Coral Tree Erythrina corallodendron Cherokee Bean Erythrina elenae Erythrina herbacea This species is native to the forma albiflora Native only to Cuba, this species is West Indies and was propagated extremely rare. In 1980, Fidel Castro from cuttings of a tree at Although most coral trees have shared seeds with a nature park in the Huntington Library, Art red blooms, this form bears white Oahu, where they were sprouted Collections, and Botanical flowers. This species is found from and nurtured. This specimen came Gardens. North Carolina to Florida and west to us as a branch cutting from one to Texas and Mexico. of those trees.

This is one of only two coral trees native to the US. Not all coral trees are large trees. Some, like This species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN The other, E. flabelliformis, is found in southern Arizona , this species, grow as shrubs or short trees. FUN FUN FUN Red List of Threatened Species. FACT FACT southwest New Mexico, and northern Mexico. FACT 10 Common Coral Tree 13 Showy Coral Tree Erythrina lysistemon Erythrina berenices