Coral trees in northern California

[bahia]

We're just a bit too cool and wet in winter to be really successful with the South African Erythrina species such as caffra or lysistemon here in the SF Bay Area, but the Mexican Erythrina coralloides does quite well here. It usually blooms about May/June here in the East Bay Area near the water, probably earlier in hotter Bay Area locations where it warms up earlier in spring. Here's a set of photos showing the tree deciduous and budded up in April, and blooming in early June, in an Alameda garden just a 100 yards from the water.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20217462@N02/sets/72157632304417329/

[Peter]

Very nice David-I've been getting into Erythrinas a bit more lately. There are some real beauties out there.

[fastfeat]

Hmmm, all I'm seeing is a big black box-- no photo.

As an aside, I saw a 10' mango growing in the ground in East Palo Alto the other day. Not particularly attractive, but it clearly had been there for many years.

[fastfeat]

OK, had to open it in IE.

Very nice.

E. coralloides (and E. crista-galli) are probably the most tolerant/least demanding species across a wide range of climatic conditions.

I still would think that E. caffra, E. lysistemon would be happy in the cool summers in protected spots in the Bay Area if they can get through at least a few winters without freezing. Neither species needs much heat, but neither can take much cold.

Edited December 23, 2012 by fastfeat

[Bennz]

Would E. falcata handle the lack of summer heat? I would think it should be ok, at least if the high altitude provenances were grown. Erythrina are sadly lacking in my part of NZ, usually just a few crista-gallii and Xsykesi (the later being very common in N NZ but rare elsewhere).

[bahia]

One just doesn't see many Erythrina species in the SF Bay Area, even coralloides is rare. Crista-gali is also few and far between. I can't think of any caffra, xsyksii, lysistemon, etc planted for public view. The shrubby hybrid xbudwillii does well here.

[fastfeat]

Would E. falcata handle the lack of summer heat? I would think it should be ok, at least if the high altitude provenances were grown. Erythrina are sadly lacking in my part of NZ, usually just a few crista-gallii and Xsykesi (the later being very common in N NZ but rare elsewhere).

Ben--

E. falcata may perform well. It does well in San Diego and Santa Barbara, though I haven't seen it farther north. Like E. caffra, it is not tolerant of desert heat (unlike E. lysistemon, E. coralloides, E. crista-galli-- all heat lovers or at least heat-tolerant).

[Silas_Sancona]

Greetings all! First time posting here. Hope everyone had a great Christmas .

Great pictures of coralloides bahia!. E. coralloides is at the top of the list of my favorite Erythrina species.
Definately agree that this species should be seen around the Bay Area, especially here in the south bay( San Jose, etc) more often than it currently is. Cold hardiness is about as good as both crista-gali and Xbidwilli which are nice surprises scattered around the area. As for some of the other species, Xsyksii would be the next species i believe most likely to succeed here based on cold tolerance.

As for the large species, E. caffra, lysistemon, and falcata, its plausable that each of these species could succeed in the warmer spots around town, favored spots in the east bay, and maybe around Santa Cruz. While an especially cold winter might cause some damage, i think all 3 species would make it here even if they don't attain the size they do further south. Here, i think the trick is providing a spot that adds a little warmth during the winter, as well as making sure the soil drains well where they are placed.

As for myself, i currently have 7 species in my collection. My own are all in containers simply because i don't have enough space to put them in the ground. The other aspect is an eventual move back to Florida. Im hoping to keep them smaller and use them as a seed/cross source untill i move. While not yet mentioned, E. humeana, and E. flabellaformis are also trial-worthy species here. Humeana used to be offered by a grower over in Watsonville. Flabellaformis, which looks similar to coralloides but stays smaller, is supposedly as hardy as Xbidwillii, if not slightly hardier. The Holy Grail of my coral tree collection is finding seed of Erythrina acanthocarpa... Its out there, somewhere!

[Brian Bruning]

I've had E. cristi-galli at a former home. It was old when I owned the place. The later owners cut it down, I think because it had to be pollardised each winter as did a current neighbor in Maxwell Park in Oakland. I currently grow E. coralloides and E. x bidwellii. Both do fine in Oakland's zone 16.

[JasonD]

David, thank you for the slideshow of the Erythrina coralloides. You are the premier researcher/evangelist for subtropical blooms in the Bay Area.

UC Berkeley Botanical Garden has a nice, substantial E. falcata, though I don't know whether it blooms. SF Botanical Garden has an E. humeana that blooms every year quite nicely; it was blooming a couple of weeks back. SFBG also has a wild-collected Erythrina species in its Mesoamerican Cloud Forest section close to the central lawn buried in shade but still alive. In the past, E. chiapasana was grown at SFBG but probably has died out; one of the gardeners had grown one in his home garden to blooming size. There was also a lignotuberous Erythrina whose name escapes me...zeyheri...in the South African section of SFBG.

In the Lower Haight district of San Francisco on Waller near Fillmore is a large Erythrina that resembles caffra and which I've not seen bloom. Ditto at 20th Street and Wisconsin on Potrero Hill.

[fastfeat]

David, thank you for the slideshow of the Erythrina coralloides. You are the premier researcher/evangelist for subtropical blooms in the Bay Area.

UC Berkeley Botanical Garden has a nice, substantial E. falcata, though I don't know whether it blooms. SF Botanical Garden has an E. humeana that blooms every year quite nicely; it was blooming a couple of weeks back. SFBG also has a wild-collected Erythrina species in its Mesoamerican Cloud Forest section close to the central lawn buried in shade but still alive. In the past, E. chiapasana was grown at SFBG but probably has died out; one of the gardeners had grown one in his home garden to blooming size. There was also a lignotuberous Erythrina whose name escapes me...zeyheri...in the South African section of SFBG.

In the Lower Haight district of San Francisco on Waller near Fillmore is a large Erythrina that resembles caffra and which I've not seen bloom. Ditto at 20th Street and Wisconsin on Potrero Hill.

Thanks for the info, Jason. I'm up in the Bay Area for awhile, and I may go check out these trees. Hopefully we'll get a few dry (and warmer?) days tho. Tired of working in cold and wet, hoping for better weather on my days off...

[_Keith]

E. herbacea should do well there. It is known here for both flowers and medicinal qualities.

[Silas_Sancona]

E. herbacea should do well there. It is known here for both flowers and medicinal qualities.

Almost forgot about this species, agree that it should do fine here. Will be adding two specimens of this species come spring.

[mulungu]

One just doesn't see many Erythrina species in the SF Bay Area, even coralloides is rare. Crista-gali is also few and far between. I can't think of any caffra, xsyksii, lysistemon, etc planted for public view. The shrubby hybrid xbudwillii does well here.

The slide show was stunning. Thank you! Such vivid color. I used to live in the South SF Bay, and always wondered at the fact that coral trees were not more abundant in Bay Area yards and landscapes, as a number of species could potentially do well. Even E. crista-galli were so seldom seen that I would mentally mark their locations when encountered-- I remember seeing a beautiful one in bloom in Palo Alto, a block away from the downtown post office. I also saw a lovely E. humeana on the campus of Stanford University for many years, which I understand has since been removed.

Perhaps availability in nurseries is a factor? I don't recall seeing coral trees offered even in some of the better local specialty nurseries, certainly not in the big box and chain stores. You would have to know exactly what you wanted and special order or grow from seed, I imagine. Availabilty is also a problem where I live now, here in the San Antonio, TX area. Our choices are more limited due to our more frequent and severe freezes, but of the coral trees that will survive here I have only seen xbidwilli and occasionally, herbacea, offered in local nurseries. E. crista-galli is also feasible here-- I have seen some big, gorgeous specimens in bloom at the San Antonio Japanese Tea Garden-- but have never encountered crista-galli plants for sale, and am having to try to grow them from seed. I am also trying an unknown Erythrina species from a bag of seeds sent by my mother-in-law overseas: based on where she lives and the appearance of the seeds, I think it is probably E. velutina. As young saplings in the ground here, these seem to get damaged without protection at around 27 degrees F (-2.8 C), but are becoming more cold-resistant with age. These might also be feasible for trial in light of SF Bay Area winter lows, although I just don't know how they might respond to cool winter wet and limited summer heat.

[fastfeat]

One just doesn't see many Erythrina species in the SF Bay Area, even coralloides is rare. Crista-gali is also few and far between. I can't think of any caffra, xsyksii, lysistemon, etc planted for public view. The shrubby hybrid xbudwillii does well here.

The slide show was stunning. Thank you! Such vivid color. I used to live in the South SF Bay, and always wondered at the fact that coral trees were not more abundant in Bay Area yards and landscapes, as a number of species could potentially do well. Even E. crista-galli were so seldom seen that I would mentally mark their locations when encountered-- I remember seeing a beautiful one in bloom in Palo Alto, a block away from the downtown post office. I also saw a lovely E. humeana on the campus of Stanford University for many years, which I understand has since been removed.

Perhaps availability in nurseries is a factor? I don't recall seeing coral trees offered even in some of the better local specialty nurseries, certainly not in the big box and chain stores. You would have to know exactly what you wanted and special order or grow from seed, I imagine. Availabilty is also a problem where I live now, here in the San Antonio, TX area. Our choices are more limited due to our more frequent and severe freezes, but of the coral trees that will survive here I have only seen xbidwilli and occasionally, herbacea, offered in local nurseries. E. crista-galli is also feasible here-- I have seen some big, gorgeous specimens in bloom at the San Antonio Japanese Tea Garden-- but have never encountered crista-galli plants for sale, and am having to try to grow them from seed. I am also trying an unknown Erythrina species from a bag of seeds sent by my mother-in-law overseas: based on where she lives and the appearance of the seeds, I think it is probably E. velutina. As young saplings in the ground here, these seem to get damaged without protection at around 27 degrees F (-2.8 C), but are becoming more cold-resistant with age. These might also be feasible for trial in light of SF Bay Area winter lows, although I just don't know how they might respond to cool winter wet and limited summer heat.

I'd try E. flabelliformis in San Antonio.

Seems that I remember seeing some species (though I can't recall which one(s)) at SA BG some years ago.

[mulungu]

I'd try E. flabelliformis in San Antonio.

Seems that I remember seeing some species (though I can't recall which one(s)) at SA BG some years ago.

Thank you for the suggestion-- I will look around for a seed source for flabelliformis. I know SA BG has E. x bidwillii, not sure if there may be others.

[fastfeat]

I'd try E. flabelliformis in San Antonio.

Seems that I remember seeing some species (though I can't recall which one(s)) at SA BG some years ago.

Thank you for the suggestion-- I will look around for a seed source for flabelliformis. I know SA BG has E. x bidwillii, not sure if there may be others.

I may have some seed in my storage in LA Co or be able to get some in Fullerton if you can't source any. It'll probably be about a month 'til I'm back down south tho.

[Silas_Sancona]

One just doesn't see many Erythrina species in the SF Bay Area, even coralloides is rare. Crista-gali is also few and far between. I can't think of any caffra, xsyksii, lysistemon, etc planted for public view. The shrubby hybrid xbudwillii does well here.

The slide show was stunning. Thank you! Such vivid color. I used to live in the South SF Bay, and always wondered at the fact that coral trees were not more abundant in Bay Area yards and landscapes, as a number of species could potentially do well. Even E. crista-galli were so seldom seen that I would mentally mark their locations when encountered-- I remember seeing a beautiful one in bloom in Palo Alto, a block away from the downtown post office. I also saw a lovely E. humeana on the campus of Stanford University for many years, which I understand has since been removed.

Perhaps availability in nurseries is a factor? I don't recall seeing coral trees offered even in some of the better local specialty nurseries, certainly not in the big box and chain stores. You would have to know exactly what you wanted and special order or grow from seed, I imagine. Availabilty is also a problem where I live now, here in the San Antonio, TX area. Our choices are more limited due to our more frequent and severe freezes, but of the coral trees that will survive here I have only seen xbidwilli and occasionally, herbacea, offered in local nurseries. E. crista-galli is also feasible here-- I have seen some big, gorgeous specimens in bloom at the San Antonio Japanese Tea Garden-- but have never encountered crista-galli plants for sale, and am having to try to grow them from seed. I am also trying an unknown Erythrina species from a bag of seeds sent by my mother-in-law overseas: based on where she lives and the appearance of the seeds, I think it is probably E. velutina. As young saplings in the ground here, these seem to get damaged without protection at around 27 degrees F (-2.8 C), but are becoming more cold-resistant with age. These might also be feasible for trial in light of SF Bay Area winter lows, although I just don't know how they might respond to cool winter wet and limited summer heat.

Mulungu,

Working in the nursery business, id definately agree that availability is part of the reason Corals aren't seen around here more often. Dispite that, there are nurseries who will special order all but the rarer species. Ive also made mental notes of where each of the E. crista gali, or X bidwillii specimens were/are in the area each time id come across them. Last spring, after several customer requests, i was able to bring in X bidwillii to the nursery where im currently employed, probably for the first time at that location. All the less common specimens im currently working with i aquired online or on trips down south.

While the E. flabelliformis specimen i purchased online is small atm, im particularly excited about how it will fill out come spring. Its been trying to break dormancy during our recent cold spell.

[humgarden]

Erythrina cristi-galli - Praia do Gravata, Santa Catarina, Brazil

D29-59 — Zone 9a to 10— Santa Catarina, Brazil

Available mail-order from Yucca-Do nursery,Texas, http://www.yuccado.com/all-plants/subtropicals.html, left menue, click on trees,or subtropicals. Used to sell E.herbacea var.arborescens. May want to ask them. Have trouble getting it to do much here in Houston because of the 20 degree polar express. E. crista-gali,x bidwillii no problemo in Houston, just ravaged by Terastia meticulosalis. If San Antonio is arid enough that your erythrinas are not devastated by shot borer and leaf roller , count your lucky stars.

[fastfeat]

Erythrina cristi-galli - Praia do Gravata, Santa Catarina, Brazil

D29-59 — Zone 9a to 10— Santa Catarina, Brazil

Available mail-order from Yucca-Do nursery,Texas, http://www.yuccado.com/all-plants/subtropicals.html, left menue, click on trees,or subtropicals. Used to sell E.herbacea var.arborescens. May want to ask them. Have trouble getting it to do much here in Houston because of the 20 degree polar express. E. crista-gali,x bidwillii no problemo in Houston, just ravaged by Terastia meticulosalis. If San Antonio is arid enough that your erythrinas are not devastated by shot borer and leaf roller , count your lucky stars.

Good point about Terastia meticulosalis; not sure if its range extends that far west or not. If so, expect issues.

OTOH, at least Easterners don't have to deal with Erythrina seed borer, Specularius impressithorax, that has made it very difficult to find viable seed in CA and HI in recent years.

[mulungu]

Humgarden,

Many thanks for that pointer to an Internet source of E. crista-galli. And about the pests that you and fastfeat mentioned, I am not sure if either causes problems in SA-- the few coral trees that I have seen scattered around town have looked healthy, although I realize that doesn't necessarily mean that those pests are not here. Much obliged for the heads up, and will keep an eye out for attacks.

Silas_Sancona,

Kudos to you for bringing E. xbidwilli to your nursery. I can imagine how a number of customers would be keen to purchase one given its beauty and hardiness, and hope that more will incorporate it into their Bay Area gardens. I am glad to hear that there are other Erythrina species available in the trade for special order. It appears that you have quite a burgeoning collection of species of your own. If you should ever care to give E. velutina a try, I have some seeds to share that are likely this.

[Silas_Sancona]

Humgarden,

Many thanks for that pointer to an Internet source of E. crista-galli. And about the pests that you and fastfeat mentioned, I am not sure if either causes problems in SA-- the few coral trees that I have seen scattered around town have looked healthy, although I realize that doesn't necessarily mean that those pests are not here. Much obliged for the heads up, and will keep an eye out for attacks.

Silas_Sancona,

Kudos to you for bringing E. xbidwilli to your nursery. I can imagine how a number of customers would be keen to purchase one given its beauty and hardiness, and hope that more will incorporate it into their Bay Area gardens. I am glad to hear that there are other Erythrina species available in the trade for special order. It appears that you have quite a burgeoning collection of species of your own. If you should ever care to give E. velutina a try, I have some seeds to share that are likely this.

Mulungu,

Thank you, and yes, if you have some to share, id definately be interested in trying this species.

As for x bidwillii, as soon as it showed up on a growers availability last spring, it was ordered. Id hoped to bring in crista gali, and coralloides but our company doesn't buy from growers who have those two species available. Im hoping that might change this year. in any event, it was nice to offer something different. While the climate in this part of the San Francisco bay area will never be as perfect as San Diego, theres room for alot more diversity among the choices for flowering trees here. I'll take my chances suggesting something like E. coralloides or X syksii, or something like Texas Mountain Laurel over selling something like Purple leaved Plums, or Evergreen Ash ...hate that tree, lol.

[CodyORB]

On 12/29/2012 at 5:32 AM, JasonD said:

In the Lower Haight district of San Francisco on Waller near Fillmore is a large Erythrina that resembles caffra and which I've not seen bloom. Ditto at 20th Street and Wisconsin on Potrero Hill.

You mean these fellas?

[Silas_Sancona]

6 minutes ago, CodyORB said:

You mean these fellas?

Those are Callistemon ( Bottlebrush ) ..possibly C. viminalis..

[mulungu]

8 hours ago, CodyORB said:

On 12/29/2012 at 4:32 AM, JasonD said:

In the Lower Haight district of San Francisco on Waller near Fillmore is a large Erythrina that resembles caffra and which I've not seen bloom. Ditto at 20th Street and Wisconsin on Potrero Hill.

You mean these fellas?

 

I'm thinking the first Erythrina referred to might be this:

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7711222,-122.43084,3a,75y,37.71h,111.16t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s2Xpd5k07mvW-PzoVcr4GUQ!2e0!5s20140301T000000!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

 

and the second one this:

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7597759,-122.3991891,3a,84.1y,108.46h,101.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqhId1ph2cGJBu6m8SbmGdw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[bubba]

I miss fastfeet and Bahia. Two great experts, I hope they are still browsing!

[CodyORB]

15 hours ago, mulungu said:

 

I'm thinking the first Erythrina referred to might be this:

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7711222,-122.43084,3a,75y,37.71h,111.16t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s2Xpd5k07mvW-PzoVcr4GUQ!2e0!5s20140301T000000!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

 

and the second one this:

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7597759,-122.3991891,3a,84.1y,108.46h,101.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqhId1ph2cGJBu6m8SbmGdw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Thank you for your sleuthing. I'm glad to see the latter in bloom!

[Silas_Sancona]

14 hours ago, bubba said:

I miss fastfeet and Bahia. Two great experts, I hope they are still browsing!

Ken ( Fastfeat ) is still around, sharing his expertise ..Just not on here.. Wish he'd check in from time to time though..

[bubba]

Good to hear!

[JasonD]

On 4/4/2022 at 1:15 AM, mulungu said:

 

I'm thinking the first Erythrina referred to might be this:

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7711222,-122.43084,3a,75y,37.71h,111.16t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s2Xpd5k07mvW-PzoVcr4GUQ!2e0!5s20140301T000000!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

 

and the second one this:

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7597759,-122.3991891,3a,84.1y,108.46h,101.1t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqhId1ph2cGJBu6m8SbmGdw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Yeah, links nailed it. Cool to see the Potrero Hill one caught in bloom. I should go over there and look now.

[mulungu]

On 4/6/2022 at 1:56 PM, JasonD said:

Yeah, links nailed it. Cool to see the Potrero Hill one caught in bloom. I should go over there and look now.

If you got a chance, would be cool to hear if it was in bloom now.   I wonder what the flowering trigger is on these? Time of year does not seem entirely consistent--May and June seem to be good months for catching many of them in bloom, but not always.
Based on Google Street View captures, the Wisconsin and 20th Erythrina caffra tree showed good bloom in May 2021 (and very good bloom in June 2021: Erythrina caffra), weaker bloom in May 2019, and none in May 2017. The other one on Waller in SF never seemed to have more than a minimal smattering of blooms over 14 years of Street View, regardless of the month.

Erythrina x sykesii at the Oakland Zoo parking lot also captured in bloom in May (2018):
Erythrina x sykesii

E. crista-galli in downtown Palo Alto was in bloom in June (2016): Erythrina crista-galli Palo Alto and also the September 2009 capture, but not September 2014 or 2019.

E. crista-galli in bloom at California State Capitol Park in Sacramento in May: 
(the state champion tree): E. crista-galli champion
and a little one:  E. crista-galli State Capitol Park

Edited April 9, 2022 by mulungu

[mulungu]

As a side note, here in San Antonio TX the E. crista galli at the Japanese Tea Garden were in bloom the month after the 2008 reopening, i.e. April.  Apparently I took this pic on Tax Day. Not sure if they bloomed other months too because I couldn't get down there often, and in subsequent years they were removed.

 

 

 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

9 hours ago, mulungu said:

If you got a chance, would be cool to hear if it was in bloom now.   I wonder what the flowering trigger is on these? Time of year does not seem entirely consistent--May and June seem to be good months for catching many of them in bloom, but not always.
Based on Google Street View captures, the Wisconsin and 20th Erythrina caffra tree showed good bloom in May 2021 (and very good bloom in June 2021: Erythrina caffra), weaker bloom in May 2019, and none in May 2017. The other one on Waller in SF never seemed to have more than a minimal smattering of blooms over 14 years of Street View, regardless of the month.

Erythrina x sykesii at the Oakland Zoo parking lot also captured in bloom in May (2018):
Erythrina x sykesii

E. crista-galli in downtown Palo Alto was in bloom in June (2016): Erythrina crista-galli Palo Alto and also the September 2009 capture, but not September 2014 or 2019.

E. crista-galli in bloom at California State Capitol Park in Sacramento in May: 
(the state champion tree): E. crista-galli champion
and a little one:  E. crista-galli State Capitol Park

Would bet it has to do w/ weather conditions leading up to ..and during the flower season.  There's still a couple crista galli around San Jose and they'd only flower well during years winters were relatively warm and dry / springs that were warm..   Which may explain why they flower more consistently the further south you head, ie: around S. Cal. 

Same crista galli in my old neighborhood there in San Jose has been seeding for a couple decades, -at least ( Can see pods dangling from in in a March, 2019 street view, if you zoom in ) . Been there since i went to the elementary school across the street. Used to be ..either a coralloides or X syksii specimen in a yard further down the same street, but think it was killed in the 1990 freeze ..or was yanked not too long after. Only noticed it flowering once.. not too long before it disappeared.
 

Our local sp. doesn't even wake up until late May / June.

[JasonD]

Crista-galli is pretty consistent in its blooming here in San Francisco; perhaps it's the mild winter that allows it. It takes till summer to bloom, and then cycles into bloom a couple times into fall.

There are very few around town, however. Messy-looking before new annual growth has exceeded the dead whips from last year.

The several Sykesii planted around India Basin in the southeast part of the city are pretty good bloomers and seem to do fine in the low-water conditions there. I was pleasantly surprised to see them in bloom during 2020 lockdown spring.

I'd love to see in person the coralloides that Bahia originally posted here from Alameda, which has a somewhat warmer summer than southeast SF.

[Hillizard]

My potted, raised-from-seed Erythrina acanthocarpa finally gifted me with flowers this April. It spends 5-6 months in my sunroom with NO water and is totally bare-stems dormant. I move it outside when growth resumes. A really messy-looking, prickly plant...with obvious charms at a certain time of year!

[tinman10101]

On 8/28/2022 at 1:21 PM, Hillizard said:

My potted, raised-from-seed Erythrina acanthocarpa finally gifted me with flowers this April. It spends 5-6 months in my sunroom with NO water and is totally bare-stems dormant. I move it outside when growth resumes. A really messy-looking, prickly plant...with obvious charms at a certain time of year!

very cool jeff. the first time i saw these was at huntington gardens in san marino.  they were in bloom and it blew me away.  what spectacular blooms they have.  definitely worth the wait, like my echinopsis flying saucer.    

[Hillizard]

8 minutes ago, tinman10101 said:

very cool jeff. the first time i saw these was at huntington gardens in san marino.  they were in bloom and it blew me away.  what spectacular blooms they have.  definitely worth the wait, like my echinopsis flying saucer.    

Thanks. The local bees and hummingbirds weren't interested, or were confused. Only ants crawled into them. I tried to pollinate the flowers myself, but the two pods (with small seeds) that developed eventually aborted. Maybe I'll have better luck next year? At least the flowers can be enjoyed for a couple of weeks. They remind me of candy corn.

Wasn't familiar with that Echinopsis variety. Wow! That's a stunner:  https://worldofsucculents.com/echinopsis-flying-saucer/

 

[tinman10101]

1 hour ago, Hillizard said:

Thanks. The local bees and hummingbirds weren't interested, or were confused. Only ants crawled into them. I tried to pollinate the flowers myself, but the two pods (with small seeds) that developed eventually aborted. Maybe I'll have better luck next year? At least the flowers can be enjoyed for a couple of weeks. They remind me of candy corn.

Wasn't familiar with that Echinopsis variety. Wow! That's a stunner:  https://worldofsucculents.com/echinopsis-flying-saucer/

 

here are the pics i took of the Erythrina acanthocarpa i took at HBG:

 

and the echinopsis flying saucer blooming this past march.  flowers are really big:

[Hillizard]

Tin: Thanks for sharing those pictures from the Huntington Garden and from your collection. Guess I need to add another cactus cultivar to my collection! 😄

[Silas_Sancona]

15 minutes ago, tinman10101 said:

here are the pics i took of the Erythrina acanthocarpa i took at HBG:

 

and the echinopsis flying saucer blooming this past march.  flowers are really big:

  Those pictures of E. acanthocarpa at the Huntington from this year?..   Not sure if you'd noticed but pretty sure they still have two specimens. Other one was kind of small / hidden among other stuff when i last saw them sometime ago.

11 minutes ago, Hillizard said:

Tin: Thanks for sharing those pictures from the Huntington Garden and from your collection. Guess I need to add another cactus cultivar to my collection! 😄

If you like Trichocereus x " Flying Saucer",  Would look into both " First Light" and " Apricot Glow"  Getting ready to behead / re-root mine.  Btw, Good to see you posting again