Cry Baby, Cockspur, Fireman's Cap Tree, Brazillian Coral Tree (Erythrina crista-galli)

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.

I took this picture a La Reserva Costanera in Buenos Aires on a bike ride in December 2003. The tree is common in that area of Argentina and Uruguay. I read that it is the national flower of both countries.

Brazilian Coral Tree flowers in a botanical garden in Bali, Indonesia, October 1990

fireman's cap blooms in Needville,Tx. (30 miles SW of Houston)

Los Angeles arboretum in June


june flowers and leaves

June flower, Los Angeles

Genus: Erythrina Crista Galli -Barcelona Spring 2003

Also known as 'Mamou plant' in Cajun Country of LA. Do 'Mamou Plant' search for info.

Firey orange/red blooms which form beans with up to three seeds. Seeds germinate easily.

pods in fall Los Angeles county

seeds in pod fall Los Angeles

seeds in hand- very hard, smooth and ornamental (and toxic)

Fireman's Cap tree cut to a bush

Fireman's cap seed pods

Fireman's Cap trunk

Taken outside Woolmarketing Marlborough Nelson Blenheim NZ

Taken outside Woolmarketing Marlborough Nelson Blenheim NZ

my own seedling grown from seed off plant here in Los Angeles

Mine is presently almost seven feet tall. It bloomed last year and I am hoping for blooms again this year.


Small tree. Moreno, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

great specimen growing in Disneyland, California, May


Beautiful specimen in Tokyo.


A small tree in Tangiers, Morocco. The poor thing was all mixed up with hedging shrubs and had only just "seen the light" when this picture was taken.

two year old seedling after flowering. survived a severe 20 degree freeze in Jan 07. z9b/10a CA

Same seedling. the trunk is already getting large and bulbous

our cockspur tree flowers in NSW Australia

New spring on our cockspur tree in NSW Australia

green seedpods. ready to harvest when totally brown

Blooming late June. zone 9b/sunset 9 CA



White flowered variety, E. crista-galli var. leucochlora

flowers on my own plant grown from seed collected in southern California just 7 years ago

Growing so happily in San Mateo, California.




At UC Botanical Gardens in Berkeley, CA.

At UC Botanical Gardens in Berkeley, CA.

At UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens. Must have had frost damage for full of dead limbs.

University of California at Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden

University of California at Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden



University of California at Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden


University of California at Santa Cruz Arboretum & Botanic Garden

Erythrina crista-galli flowers

Erythrina crista-galli - Cockspur Coral Tree flower

Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles, California




flowers

flowers

University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley

Growing within 1km of Perth (Western Australia) CBD, 2010

Photo taken within 1km of Perth (Western Australia) CBD, 2010

Photo taken at Perth, Western Australia, 2010

Photo taken within 1km of Perth (Western Australia) CBD, 2010

my 8' tall tree grown from seed. This tree blooms about 10 months out of the year here in southern California. This is from late November

November seed pods southern California in my yard

On a country road north of Tauranga, New Zealand in late January

Showing the thick trunk and bark

The upper limbs, branches and leaves

The bean-like seed pods

The different stages of the coral coloured Cockspur flowers

Sofia, Bulgaria, 2300 feet AMSL, zone 6b (admittedly). End of winter.

another shot of seeds from my own plant (I grew from seed)


New Zealand. Photo courtesy of Karl Gercens. Copyright Karl Gercens. Conservatory Horticulturist at Longwood Gardens. http://www.karlgercens.com/

Photo courtesy of Ken Blackford. Copyright Ken Blackford. San Diego, Ca.

Photo courtesy of Ken Blackford. Copyright Ken Blackford. San Diego, Ca.

Grown from seed in Zwolle, the Netherlands in spring 2015.

University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley. Photo courtesy of Mark Delepine. Copyright of Mark Delapine. Berkeley, California.
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About
Cry Baby, Cockspur, Fireman's Cap Tree, Brazillian Coral Tree
Erythrina crista-galli
Type: | Trees |
Height: | 20-30 ft. (6-9 m) |
Conditions: | Zone 9-11, Full Sun |