Charles' tips on caring for the coastal coral tree

A coastal coral tree in Plettenberg Bay.

This is a medium-sized to large deciduous tree which forms a round-headed, spreading canopy and has a light green appearance when in leaf. Trees may reach a height of 20m in coastal and forested regions where the conditions are optimal. This is a subtropical tree which occurs in the warm and frost-free to light frost coastal regions of Eastern Cape and northern KwaZulu-Natal. 
   The trunk and branches are grey, sometimes with short, sharp prickles. The leaves typically grow in three egg-shaped leaflets and the spectacularly beautiful flowers are carried in large clusters at the ends of thick, fleshy stalks. They have a short, broad, standard petal, the lower half of which curves upward to expose the stamens which are mainly orange to scarlet in colour.
   The fruits are dark, cylindrical pods up to 65mm long which split to release the small, shiny, coral-red seeds, which are marked on the one side with black spots. As seeds weather and become older, they turn a rich red-brown. 
   The coral tree occurs in sheltered coastal forests and along wooded rivers. It is not endangered and its ease of cultivation makes it readily available for garden use throughout the country. 

General reference: The South African National Biodiversity Institute.

Charles’ tips for care of this tree:

• The coastal coral tree has fibrous wood with watery sap. It is prone to cavities at major joins, but forms rapid-wound-wood growth.
• Beetle larvae feed on the cambium and often destroy young plants in the Southern Cape - hence the limited number of natural wild specimens found west of the Tsitsikamma. 
• These larvae can be poked with a piece of wire if you can find their well-designed burrows around the trunk and lower thick branches. Infestations are often also found at growth tips, and although growth is compromised, with reasonable watering and food the mature tree outgrows the problem. Therefore, keep a mulch layer and a healthy (sane?) root zone.
• Seeds are poisonous if mashed and ingested. However,  if swallowed by an infant, for example, they are likely to simply pass through without any need for stress.

When pruning:

• Thorns make this a difficult climb without gloves!
• Inspect frequently for deadwood.
• Make crown reductions only after flowering in spring.
• The vigorous root system can be neatly pruned to stunt growth, but this must be done with a crown reduction.
• A chainsaw is rarely needed here and a hand-pruning saw can be used for up to 150 mm diameter branches.
• Decay in cavities is quite common, causing seemingly healthy branches to fall. Inspection of trees over infrastructure is therefore advisable every year.