Erythrina Lysistemon

Erythrina Lysistemon Care

Erythrina Lysistemon

What is the plant

Erythrina lysistemon is a species of deciduous tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to South Africa. Common names include common coral tree, lucky bean tree, umsintsi (Xhosa), muvhale (Venda), mophete (Tswana), koraalboom of kanniedood (Afrikaans), mokhungwane (Sotho) and umsinsi (Zulu).

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Humidity

High

Lighting

Full Sun

Temperature

-16°C - -6°C

Difficulty

Medium

How to Care for the Plant

Water
It is fairly drought-tolerant, but performs better if given water during summer.
Pruning
The coral can take heavy root pruning and it was needed so that I could fit it into the pot.
Fertilizer
Feed with organic fertilizer and mulch with compost.

Disease diagnosis

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Soil
Soil: well-drained, loamy or sandy soil. Water: medium to low water consumption; doesn't like lots of water in winter. Fertilizing: compost in the planting hole and as a mulch around young trees is sufficient.
Temperature
It is sensitive to cold and grows best in frost free gardens, but will survive in regions with a winter minimum of -7 to -1 °C/20 to 30°F (zone 9) provided it is planted in a sheltered position, and protected from frost when young.
Additional
Erythrina lysistemon does contain a large number of alkaloids that are known to be highly toxic, but its use in traditional medicine suggests that they have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. The seeds are used as lucky charms. Description. Erythrina lysistemon is a lovely, small to medium-sized, deciduous tree with a spreading crown and brilliant red flowers. It is a handsome tree at any time of the year, and its dazzling flowers have made it one of the best known and widely grown South African trees.