African Wildlife & Environment Issue 84 2023

GARDENING FOR BIODIVERSITY

The chest of the Greater Double-collared Sunbird brilliantly matches the flowers of an Erythrina (Photograph: J Wesson)

CORAL GEMS IN THE GARDEN

Charles & Julia Botha

It is their spectacular tubular flowers which have established the deciduous shrubs and trees in the genus Erythrina among our best known, and most easily recognized, indigenous plants. The flowers, generally brick-red to bright scarlet but sometimes cream to reddish brown, are arranged in pointed spikes and make a wonderful show.

in the Eastern Cape, is the very similar-looking, but larger Coast Coral-tree E. caffra . At one stage, these two species were considered to be one and the trees are difficult to tell apart when not in flower. The flowers of E. caffra generally have broader petals, are more open and stand more horizontal and further away from the stem than those of E. lysistemon , which form neater spikes. The stamens of E. caffra also protrude, giving the flowers a ‘whiskery’ appearance. The slower-growing, rather thickset Broad leaved Coral-tree E. latissima occurs naturally from about East London northwards into the Kruger

While the different Erythrina species can probably not be classified as ‘instant bird garden’ plants, the majority are by no means slow growers especially when in a sunny spot which is where they do best. The most commonly found, and among the easiest to grow, is the Common Coral-tree or Sacred Coral tree E. lysistemon and, although it occurs naturally no further south than about East London, it is widespread and found over virtually all our northern provinces including Gauteng. With a somewhat more coastal natural distribution, stretching from KwaZulu Natal as far south as the vicinity of Humansdorp

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