Naked Coral Tree

I fell in love with this tree after seeing it at a local nursery, however, my DH is unsure if it would be suitable here (Henderson, NV) due to scorching heat and high winds. Our other concern is the poisonous seeds....As in "would our dogs try to eat them?"....I really would like to try this tree but not risk any danger to our animals.... Does anyone have any experience with this tree. I would certainly appreciate any input. Thanks, Faronell

Can you give us the botanical name from the nursery tag, so we all will know which coral tree you mean?

Guy S.

Do you mean Erythrina crista-galli?

It is one of the Erithryna trees, Has the great red flowers and no leaves and spines on bark...They also had one variety that had lots of leaves and no flowers but I really fell in love with the naked branches and big red pinecone looking flowers, I'm sorry I don't have the botanical name.

I think it is Erythrina coralloides http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/63922/index.html
which one webpage said is the hardiest alongside E. crista-galli
Check this one out: http://www.smgrowers.com/info/erythrinacorb.asp
It has red, white and mixed on the same tree. You've got my interest on this one and I might just try it out. The listings all say Zone 9a so 8b isn't far off. Give it a hot & dry location, maybe against a south-white wall and you've got it beat. I know the other one needs excellent drainage in our climate and is grown in the UK.

I think we're on the right track, still wondering about it being poisonous. Might get one anyway and put in front yard which they don't have access to.....Thanks, guys

There are literally thousands of these growing around the Los Angeles area and all Coral Trees are equally poisonous, at least as far as I am aware... the seeds are the real dangers... but realistically what dog is going to eat Coral Tree seeds? I am a veterinarian here in Los Angeles and I have yet, in 20 years, to even hear of such a poisoning, and there are plenty of opportunities for it to happen. I'm sure it has happened somewhere, but it has to be a rare occurence. Probably a lot more common for children to eat the seeds than dogs (bad smells are something dogs can pick up on easily, and most toxic plants smell bad). Unless you know your dog is the type that will consume anything and everything, I would not be too concerned... there are a LOT of toxic plants out there, and if you grew none, you would have a much smaller and less interesting list of plants to choose from. Our pets are much more apt to have trouble eating owners medications, onions, chocolate, rat bait, get hit by cars, bit by dogs and rattlesnakes than eat a truly deadly toxic plant.

palmbob....thanks for the input, I know you are probably right, just a worry wort with my 100lb babies. I have 2 Akitas, my male has been bitten by scorpions a couple of times and swells up pretty bad (always alongside his nose). My female doesn't seem to get bit, don't know if it's because she just isn't sensitive to the sting or is too smart to "nose" them. We don't have any small children or grandbabies so maybe will spring for the tree. Funny, I lived in Cali for years and never noticed these. Was it because I was too young to care? I think we notice so much more as we get older and realize there is so much to do and learn that we need to get after it...Wish I knew of a plant to make the scorpions go away, they've been very bad last couple of years. I will try to get the botanical info from the nursery if I get a chance to get out there next week or so....Thanks for input....